When they say to tone it down,

get bigger.

When they say to be quiet,

get louder.

When they try to dull your sparkle,

shine as bright as you can.

When they ask to follow their rules of “appropriateness”,

get weirder.

When they ask if you’re ok,

don’t say you’re fine

when you aren’t.

Don’t give away your power.

stand in your integrity.

Yes, it can get lonely and uncomfortable.

Yet, the more often you stand up for yourself,

and stay in your own truth,

the stronger your voice becomes.

observation instead of judgment

curiosity instead of preconception

questions instead of opinions

vulnerability instead of fake indifference

surrendering instead of holding on

integrity instead of conformity

growth opportunities instead of regrets

heartbreak instead of numbness

courage instead of comfort zone

can instead of can’t

individuality instead of “normal”

two choices,

one life.

You arrive.

The air is so crisp and clean.

All distractions, noises, unimportant details

are stripped away.

Your view has never been clearer.

At this moment everything makes sense.

There are no questions, doubts, regrets, and uncertainties.

This is it.

You just know it in every cell of your being.

Your breath becomes slower and deeper.

You finally feel it.

Your truest essence.

It’s the moment when you catch a glimpse of

the bird’s eye view of your very own life.

It’s the moment when you can see the forest

for the trees at last.

And just when every single inch of your body

lights up with this pure, unconditional energy,

deep down you know,

this magic can’t last forever.

Then it’s over.

Back to life.

Dreaming about the next homecoming,

and trusting that every lesson

along the way will be necessary

to get there.

Be a lady bug on a sunflower petal.

Be a child’s heartwarming infectious laughter.

Be a perfectly ripe, buttery avocado on freshly baked sourdough bread.

Be the sweet scent of lilacs.

Be the most embarrassing singer at a karaoke party.

Be the one who is not afraid to admit she peed in the pool.

Be the unexpected rainbow created by a sprinkler on a hot sunny day.

Be an enormous platter of crispy fried food.

Be a big, heavy tear of heartbreak.

Be your nation’s anthem at the Olympic’s downhill race.

Be the warmth of your mom‘s hug.

Be the soft dirt underneath your bare feet.

Be the thick accent celebrating your heritage.

Be the comfy, stretchy pants after a day of culinary indulgence.

Be the puppy who stumbles over his own tail.

Be the bold splatter of yellow in Jackson Pollock’s No. 5.

Be the Crimson red maple leaf on an Indian summer day in Quebec.

Be the knock on the door before a long awaited reunion.

Be the postcard that travels halfway across the globe to surprise someone special.

Be the orgasm you thought you would never experience again.

Be one of those human-like dogs who pose with a big grin for pictures.

Be an ultra comfy, oversized, food stained T-shirt.

Be one of a trillion stars in the sky reminding us that really nothing, yet everything is so significant.

Be exactly what you never dared to be.

Be it big.

Fall on your face with an open heart, over and over again.

Keep getting up.

Embrace the darkness, and trust that light always reappears.

Never stop being weird.

Never settle for less.

Keep trying.

Keep rising.

Often times we are so busy chasing the extraordinary,

that we can’t even see the beauty in the ordinary.

We get distracted by the shiny accolades and so-called high achievements,

that we miss out on the moments that define us the most.

Those humble in-between glimpses of pure contentment and fulfillment.

It’s that moment, when you allow yourself

to fully take in that sunset with every cell of your being.

It’s the first bite you take of a home-cooked meal,

tasting all of the earth’s energy that went into each ingredient to create this gift.

It’s the embrace of a loved one, offering you a sense of belonging,

and filling your heart with love.

It’s the flower peeking through the snow,

celebrating the beauty of impermanence and the hope for new beginnings.

It’s when the universe gives you the chance to stumble and fall,

and you get to rise differently each time.

It’s that painful heartbreak reminding you

how brave, courageous, and unconditional your heart is.

It’s when you give yourself permission

that how you are right now, is enough - and will always be.

It’s when you stop trying to prove something,

anything, to others and yourself.

It’s when you celebrate the ordinary

for what it truly is- extraordinary.

When I look back on moments of my life.

You know, the difficult ones.

Filled with grief, sadness, heartbreak and disappointment.

They all have two common denominators.

Me + expectations.

My expectations of others.

My expectations of life.

My expectations of myself.

You know, those moments.

It’s when you decide to expect,

instead of being open to life and what

it can offer - without any conditions attached to them..

It’s those expectations that

get you and your heart into trouble.

It’s when your mind is building those

sandcastles you know will eventually

get swept away by the tide.

Every day, we have the choice between

life over expectation.

Our mind will want us to choose expectations every time.

As it gives you the illusion of the known, safe outcome.

Life on the other hand, requires your trust

to lean into the unknown.

When I look back on moments of my life.

You know, the beautiful ones.

Full of love, joy, comfort, and hope.

They all have two common denominators.

Me + saying yes to life and the unknown.

It’s time …

Rip off the countless labels,

which people, society and life have attached on your forehead

throughout your life.

Burn down the false core beliefs

you collected all these years.

Shake off the doubts, insecurities

and not good-enough’s.

Throw out all the regrets,

which you stored for decades.

Drop the story

you told yourself for too long.

Clean out all the gunk,

which has been stuck in the deepest corners

of your body and heart.

Free yourself of the countless filters and walls,

you used to block yourself from life.

It’s time to spring clean your life.

I was at the studio recording, when the director said to me:

“Stop chasing your audience. It sounds like you’re trying

to prove something.”

He was right.

I was chasing the “perfect” read and voice.

I was trying to prove I’m worthy to be heard.

When I’m honest with myself, my life still consists of many simultaneous chases.

The chase for love, approval, acceptance, respect and being liked.

And, let’s not forget the popular “classics”, such as chasing the next goal, milestone, promotion, ideal weight, dream job, perfect home and of course, “the one”.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being a slave to the chase.

I just want to be.

Yes, we can still accomplish our countless goals, but don’t we want to be able to enjoy the journey that we take to reach those goals?

The chase mode doesn’t allow us that. When we are in that mode, we are so focused on the end game, that we miss those magical “in between” moments that got us there.

We lack the time and presence to fully take them in and appreciate what they are - our life!

So, let’s stop chasing and start living as we are right now.

What if you fired that inner bully,

as the editor in chief who controls your life?

What if you give yourself permission

to change your mind?

What if you said “no, not right now”,

rather than “sure, no problem”?

What if you removed those million of filters

you collected over an entire lifetime,

and really saw your immense beauty?

What if you listened to your gut,

and spoke from your heart?

What if you kept going,

even though the world said you couldn’t?

What if you allowed yourself to step into your own light,

and let your own greatness shine?

What if you met yourself with the same kindness,

you so graciously have given others all your life?

What if you said, “yes, please”,

instead of “no thanks, I’m good”?

What if you dropped the story,

and removed all the labels you have given yourself?