Welcome.

So first, deep breath in through your nose -

fill up allllll the way,

notice your heart space expand and lift, hold here for a moment

and deep breath out, sigh it out,

let your shoulders lighten, and fall away from your ears.

If you felt something shift, do that  a few more times.

See, don’t you already feel a little better?

Instead of scrolling, you’re here and reading through this. Your 10-minute breath of fresh air this morning.

In his book 'The Book of Awareness' Mark Nepo beautifully speaks to the visual of The Spoked Wheel.

Describing something in a visual way, or having visual framework, often helps to etch in my memory an idea that I can keep close and keep coming back to.

He asks us to imagine that each of us is a spoke in an Infinite Wheel, and, though each spoke is essential in keeping the Wheel whole, no two spokes are the same. The rim of that Wheel is our living sense of community, family, and relationship, but the common hub where all the spokes join is the one center where all souls meet.

As we go out into the world and live and experience and interact with others, we live out our uniqueness. And though, when we look inwards - into our core - we come upon the one common center where all lives begin. In this center we are all one and the same. In this way we live out the paradox of being both unique and the same.

I loosely sketched it out in my notebook.

He shares that, like most people, in the first half of his life he worked very hard to understand and strengthen his uniqueness. He worked hard to secure his place at the rim of the Wheel. But in the second half of his life, he was humbly brought to the center of the Wheel. Big events can do this - cancer, illnesses, deaths - where we realize the profundity of life, but we can also work on this daily.

For years, I unconsciously lived at the rim of the Wheel, focused almost entirely on what made me unique. This fixation on things largely outside my control (because you can't control what people think, or do) left me feeling largely unfulfilled when I finally slowed down enough to notice. I had a tough outer shell and a reflexive need to defend myself. Though I felt deep compassion for others, it struggled to shine through.

Slowly - largely through my yoga practice - I started to look towards the center of the Wheel. The tough outer shell and need to defend has softened, and though we're still actievly in that process.

I often  reflect on where I place my attention – how much energy I spend at the rim versus the hub. When I find myself caught in comparison, striving, or the need to prove my uniqueness, I know I'm too tightly gripping the rim. But in those moments when I connect to what matters most – compassion, presence, our shared human experience – I am more drawn to the center, where there's a profound sense of peace.

The beauty is that we need both. We need our uniqueness to share our gifts, and we also need our connection to the center to remember why those gifts matter. The dance between these creates the fullness of a life well-lived.

This Sunday, notice where on the wheel you've been spending your energy. If you've been firmly at the rim – caught in proving, achieving, and differentiating – take a few minutes today before the week starts to reconnect with the center through meditation, or on a walk, out in nature, or simply being with your breath. Moments of quietness. Or if you've been withdrawn perhaps, consider how you might look  further out to share your unique gifts today –  through a conversation with someone who appreciates your perspective or engaging more fully with those around you.

As you move through the week ahead, carry this image of the Spoked Wheel with you. The most fulfilling life moves fluidly between rim and center, between our singular expression and our shared humanity.

Wishing you a Sunday of sweet balance.

P.S. In case you need this reminder: it’s going to be a great day, and a great week.

We often get in the way of ourselves. Notice when that happens, and how you can lean into the habits you know serve you, lift you up, and help you see  with more perspective.  

+ A Sweet Reminder as you’re finding that balance:

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An easy morning playlist as you read through this note and enjoy some good good scrolling. Enjoy.