Stepping into 25 with sparkly shoes.
I’m
still all aglow from a holiday weekend of yoga goodness, springtime strolls,
champagne cupcakes, and a Saturday night spent sparkling up the dance floor
with a tribe of fabulous friends. I’m reveling in the lingering sweetness of my
24th year, sipping it all in like rose wine, as the dawn of another
birthday approaches. I’m contemplating the year ahead – what I want to
manifest, how I want to continue to grow and soften into my truest self; but
before I jump ahead into rocking 25, I’m pausing to honor my 24th
year of Sparkle.
Sparkle is a dazzling fun spirit
guide. She advocates for my lighthearted nature to shine – cheering for
authentic and wild self-expression (tutus, sequin pants and heart-shaped
sunglasses can be casually worn on Wednesdays). She defends my optimistic,
bubbly spirit by whispering Zora Neale Hurston’s golden line, “Show your shine!
Jump at the sun!” By intentionally choosing sparkle as my 24th
year’s guide, I’ve cultivated a grander confidence in my spunky, feisty self.
This confidence boost creates
necessary boundaries. In the past, I often surrendered my shine to the quick,
deflating quips from others. I hesitated and tamed my brightest creative
expression. Now, I proudly claim that inner spark. I embrace that fun-loving
energy and invite that love for life to shine. I happily attribute my sparkle
spirit guide to glittering up this year with wild escapades, riotous
shenanigans and soul mate gal friends who celebrate the sparkly goodness of
life.
Sparkle hasn’t been all fun and
games. Sparkle also illuminates my inner struggles : my fear of failure, my
tendency to self-sabotage and my insecure habit of seeking external
confirmation from others instead of relying on a foundation of internal
validation. Sparkle holds my light and shadow side. This past year, when
struggles and questions about my life’s journey arose, sparkle challenged me to
deepen my trust in myself, in listening and adhering to my intuitive guide. The
sparkling flame in the dark reminding me – and especially in challenge,
heartache and confusion – to breathe and be vibrantly alive. Instead of fleeing
discomfort, I’m learning to turn inward and compassionately process emotional
pain.
By
directly addressing emotions, particularly the painful ones when they arise,
I’m in tune with the tasks, the places, and the people who feel like a no :
there’s a heaviness, an instant disconnect, an appearance of self-doubt, a
dimming of my shine. I say yes to the passions, the kindred spirits, the
magical cities and cozy local places that brighten my shine, fill and nourish
me with energy, and leave me feeling connected to purpose. Trusting my
intuition, trusting my feelings – those sparkly and cautionary ones – are gifts
from this 24th year of sparkle.
As sparkle takes a bow, I find
that Sparkle leaves me the greatest gift – I feel more like me. I have softened
more into being, courageously embracing all aspects of self - the
lightheartedness, the sensitivity, the seriousness, the flare ups of anger, the
fun-lovingness – and this acceptance prepares for the journey to and through
dazzling 25.
Thanks for sharing the journey
with me. Wishing you ease and sweetness for the week ahead.
