When I originally typed that first line, I accidentally wrote: It's good to be back with me!
Which is funny because this week's essay is all about remembering who you are.
This Fall, I spent two months on the road in the Southwest with my dog, stripping down to the basics and camping out of my Jeep. It was a transformative journey, and a month on from returning, I am only just beginning to come into awareness of all that has opened up as a result of being able to take that time.
But I will quickly share two "knowings" that are already apparent:
The first is: A deepening acceptance of myself as an artist.
Lately, this line from the Mother Peace tarot guidebook has been coming back to me:
"The archetypal artist journeys into the deep and brings back visions to the world as a gift from the deepest parts of oneself."
I've had trouble calling myself an artist in the past but, if that's the job description, I think I finally feel pretty comfortable with owning it.
And it is certainly true that I am ripe with gifts to share!
In fact, I've been having a little trouble focusing because I am welling up with so many words and ideas that are ready to be channeled into form and shared with the world.
The second knowing is: An expansive appreciation for all that I am blessed with.
The briefest of lists would include: My dog Pablo, the mountains I walk in everyday, the beautiful home I live in, the woodstove that keeps me warm, the plumbing that brings me water, and the incredible community that surrounds me in my physical life here in Woodstock, and in my metaphysical life online — here, with you.
So thank you for being here, thank you for being a huge part of the reason I feel moved to write, and thank you for patiently waiting while I toddled off into the desert for awhile.
Now, onwards to today's reflection, which is both an essay & an invitation…
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We've just turned the corner into a new year — a year that heralds massive change.
And when I tune into the collective and ask, "What do we need right now?" The word that comes to me is fortitude — courage and strength in the face of adversity.
And when I think about how to cultivate the courage and strength that we will most certainly need as we move forward into a chaotic and unpredictable future, the phrase that comes to me is: Remember who you are.
I've written about this phrase before. When I connect into source, my higher self, my ancestors, my lineage — whatever you want to call it — this is the message that I receive with the most frequency: Remember who you are. It is the message that answers all prayers because it always brings me back to myself and my essential dignity.
What will prepare us for the future is not future-tripping. It is going within, it is coming back to ourselves, it is remembering and reverencing the values and the convictions that drive us, the spirit and the hope that animates us, the grounded presence that steadies us.
And yet: the messages that we receive from capitalism, the media, and wellness culture are cunningly engineered to convince us to forget who we are, to forget our innate power and strength and agency.
Instead, they keep us focused on the anxiety of potential. Stoking our anxiety about bad things that might potentially happen in the future, and stoking our anxiety that we are not living up to our potential.
They keep us fixated on all that we are not, and all that we have yet to accomplish/change/fix about the world and/or our inadequate selves. They convince us to keep our eyes cast toward the future, to focus all of our energy on the ominous specter of unfulfilled potential.
But, as the astrologist Britten LaRue says, "Potential is a fantasy that shames the present moment."
True evolution isn't about leaving your old self behind, it's about deepening into — and remembering — the remarkable human that you already are. It's about remembering all of the skills and knowledge and power that have always been with you. That you were encoded with when you came in, that you have inherited from your ancestors, that you have cultivated through all of your completely unique life experiences.
We think we need to reach outside of ourselves, to go over there to get the knowledge, or the healing, or the power that we are missing. But all that we yearn for is actually already within us. We just forgot that it was there.
I'm sure you've had this feeling before: The one where something that you previously knew only in your head drops down into your heart, or into your bones, or into your gut… And, all of the sudden, you know it to be true with unshakeable conviction. And when that happens, what does it feel like? It doesn't feel like new information, it feels like old information. It feels like something you've known all along. It feels like remembering.
That's why most of my "aha!" moments are really "duh" moments. What happens is the illusions, the ideas of the dominant culture that I got caught up in, fall away, and I remember what I always knew. And it's like: Oh, you sillyhead, what were you thinking?! Isn't it obvious that ____ was always true?
When I was doing some healing work recently, I connected into this deep bliss state that helped me remember (again) an essential part of my blueprint — that I am here to embody light-heartedness. And then I thought of this picture of myself at around age two.
Look at the confidence of that casual "let-me-explain-the-universe-to-you" stance as I break it down for my relative.
As I thought about this image, I realized: "Wow, she really did know it all." Little two-year-old me had it all figured out. And all I'm trying to do with my writing, and my reading, and my podcast interviews, and my healing, and my meditating, and my blah blah blah is to get back to what she knew all along — to remember what I forgot.
My belief is that all of the power and purpose and peace that we have been seeking outside of ourselves is already present within ourselves. We simply have to come back to ourselves and make a practice of remembering who we are. And that when we do that, we naturally connect into a deep well of vitality and strength.
We don't need to "armor up" to find that fortitude I was talking about earlier, we simply need to look within — to remember.
—
So, as we enter into the new year, with many of us bracing ourselves for what's to come, I would like to extend an invitation to you join me for a workshop called, Remember Who You Are: Reconnecting to Your Essence, Vitality, and Strength.
Rather than making resolutions or setting intentions for the future, we will be heading in the other direction — going within to reconnect with the knowing, the resilience, and the strength that is part of your essential humanity.
This 3-hour workshop will include:
A talk on the power of remembering. I'll begin by giving a talk on why remembering who you are — and engaging in regular "remembering & acknowledgement practices" — is so powerful and fortifying.
Prompts & reflections to guide you into remembrance. Throughout the workshop, I will share journal prompts and reflections to spark insight and appreciation around: how you've grown and changed in the past year; what patterns are ready for clearing; what values you want to align with moving forward; and what activities connect you to your vital force energy.
Radiant energy meditations to bring you into deeper presence, purpose, and peace. As one of my teachers says, "You are radiant when you are rooted." I'll share a series of brief "radiant attention" meditations throughout the gathering to help you connect more deeply into your root (grounded presence & gratitude), your solar plexus (strength & vitality), and your heart center (courage and compassion).
An exploration of what's in your toolkit for "remembering who you are." What are the tools that can bring you "home to yourself" no matter what the situation? We'll explore what tools you can use on a daily basis to make a practice of remembering, coming back to yourself, and grounding into presence so that you can navigate a chaotic world with confidence and discernment.
The workshop will take place on Sunday, February 2nd from 1-4pm EST, and the cost is $47.
If these words are resonating with you, I would love to have you join.
I also have pay-what-you-can scholarships available. Simply reply to this email to inquire.
It's wonderful to be back with you.
Much love, Jocelyn
Super-moon over Kofa Wildlife Refuge in Arizona.
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Hi, I'm Jocelyn, the human behind this newsletter. I host the Hurry Slowly podcast, teach online courses, and practice energy work. You can learn more about me at jkg.co. If you have a question, you can always feel free to hit reply. 🤓
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