PREFER TO RISE..

..rather than FALL. Particularly, I am talking about love. Rather that be with a person, career or hobby. Almost the best part of any passion is the beginning. Unfortunately that level of intensity and blind adoration rarely is sustainable. Thus, disillusionment frequently arrives as a slow eroding of that intense longing and elation. The irony is, just as the temptation to walk away begins to creep in, we are actually closest to discovering the authenticity of the attraction which initially drew us to this person, place or pursuit.

Can you allow yourself to see what happens? To not shy away from the bumps in the road. The most fulfilling parts of the human experience continually stretch our hearts and minds. True growth is rarely easy. However, what we gain via the process can be magical. Breathtakingly so. I was reminded of this on a holistic level while hiking to the North Summit of Black Mountain during my mini summer break to Vancouver last week. The trail became quite steep and rocky rather quickly. More than once I paused to consider if I should turn back. Was all the effort, in addition to the underlying risk, really worth it? I can honestly say that when I reached the top, it TOTALLY was! The views were stunning; and scrambling back down the mountain turned out to be much less arduous than I feared it would be on my way up.

This is just one example of how I have felt challenged to the point of ‘cracking open’ over these last four weeks. Yet I wouldn’t change any of it because of how rooted in the present I currently feel. I am energized by sheer gratitude that I get to live this life with an abundance of amazing people in it such as my kiddo, my boyfriend and the multi-hyphenates Jenie Gao — one of my closest friends and the new Executive Director of Centre A: Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art.

Probably the only thing I am lacking at the moment is a few more hours of slumber throughout the week. Summer never lasts forever though so I will keep taking my vegan collagen supplement (combined with quarterly visits to Allure Skin Health) to maintain my youthful glow sans a consistent sleep schedule. Although for tonight, bedtime has indeed arrived…right after I finish reading the final chapter of “One of Our Kind” by Nicola Yoon. Suspense books are ‘my jam’ during the warmer months of the year — and this one DID NOT disappoint.

Ready for an AMAZING start to August??? Then let’s go make it happen! ~Rachel