photo credit: Ed Siasoco (aka SC Fiasco)

I haven’t posted as much as I’d like to over the last month, but I won’t use conventional excuses like “I’ve been traveling” or “I’ve been busy”.  While both are true, they’re not the main reason.

The main reason for not blogging more often is that I’ve been shifting.  And frankly, it’s been kicking my ass.

If the concept of “the Shift” is foreign to you, indulge me while I attempt a simple explanation (or, read this which I published, ironically, three years ago to the day on Divine Caroline):

I believe we’re living through a period of accelerated human evolution, otherwise known as an “evolutionary leap” and this one is not only marked by, but defined by a shift in human consciousness.  This shift is occurring primarily at the level of our core essence – what many call spirit – but will manifest in the mental, emotional and physical realms as well.  We are, simply put, growing into a fuller awareness of who we are, why we are here and what we are meant to do so that we can live it.

In order for this to be possible and for us to collectively continue to function at a new level, we’re also shifting into our authenticity, which to me means this:  Each of us is in the process of or well beyond being called to our passions (what we love and are inspired to do) and is now, especially in 2011, being gently – or not so gently – pushed into living them. Yep, we’ll be shifting into being who we really are instead of the cover stories we’ve created to just get by, to survive, to stay comfortable and safe.  “The Shift” is we, collectively and individually, evolving into a new way of being that is beyond the surface level of ego and instead, aligned with spirit and heart.

So, if you’re a corporate lawyer who really loves advocating for children instead, or a web designer who’d really rather teach yoga, or an electrical engineer whose heart is in oceanography, guess what? Your passion isn’t going to remain in the “someday” future.  Like it or not, you’re probably feeling pushed, pulled, or simultaneously pushed and pulled into it right now.

In writing this all sounds nice enough.  Bring on the Age of Aquarius! Utopia on Earth – about damn time!  Live my passions – sure, I’m all for it!

But then you realize: the forces directing you will be unalterable. The alternatives to not living your passions, unthinkable.  The evidence that you’re not meant to continue the cover story, undeniable.  The universe conspiring to remove all blocks in your way, immediate.

Oh . . . shhhhhiiiit . . . whaat . . . now?

In third dimensional reality this ain’t so pretty.  To me, it looks and feels a lot like birth: painful, messy, long, loud, exhausting and possibly bloody.

Let me go back to that push and pull concept for a moment – you know, both forces are present in the birth of a baby most of the time.  We’re all pretty familiar with the pushing phase of birth and forget that while it can be fraught with effort and pain for the mother, leaving the safety of life in utero is also shocking and distressful for the baby, however gently it may be pulled out by a doctor or midwife.  Who suffers more? Somehow, I think the trauma of being pulled is greater than being pushed, which, perhaps, is why we don’t remember our own births.

In adult life as we know it, the shit hits the fan when we’re pulled out of what we’ve always known – hey, even if we didn’t love that corporate job we loved what I got us, right? – and left hanging until we’re pushed into something new. Questions like “how am I going to make any money?”, “Can I actually make a living doing what I love?” and “How the hell am I going to support my family?” can consume us with worry, fear, doubt and uncertainty.

To say I’m living all of that right now, and living it right alongside inspiration, liberation, promise and childlike joy would be an understatement and will take at least several more posts to explain.

So . . . I’m going to continue writing about The Shift this month and invite you along for the ride that is my own shift.  I invite you to join (and maybe even support) me as I navigate the unstable territory of being pulled out of – way the crap out of – my comfort zone and at long last into what I love.  Yes, it is scary.  Yes it is uncomfortable, and yes it is near-insanity inducing but if you resonate with any of it, please leave a comment below.  (And if you don’t, that’s okay, I welcome your comments too.  And in case you’re wondering, no I’m not crazy. Yet.)

But seriously, if you’re reading this and going “OMG it’s not just me!” then YOU are who I’d genuinely love to connect with.  Why? because from what I know about it now, MY purpose is to guide – you, and me, and maybe several of us together – as we navigate this passage without going positively over-the-edge-of-the cliff-crazy, without giving up, and with at least a little bit of joy and hope that we WILL – and I believe it with every fiber of my being – WILL make it to the other side.  Because hell people, if joy isn’t part of shifting into what we love, what’s the point, right?

If you’re interested in a short phone or email conversation to explore anything you’ve read here, I invite you to get in touch with me.

In the meantime, stay tuned for next week’s installment of my Shifting saga:  The Rift: Broken Open

FYI – I’ll be spending next week in Colorado’s Vail Valley skiing a lot and writing a little so please be patient if I don’t respond immediately but know I will respond.  Most of all, be happy for me – I’ll be doing two of the things I love the most in this world!