This is an excerpt from the weekly News-Loveletter. If you would like it sent to your inbox directly (with all the other juicy bits, including a mini joy practice), you can add yourself to my mailing list here.

We’ve all been there … the expected or unexpected deep dive into darkness. Maybe we went alone and maybe with friends or family. But there, at the edge of our comfort zone, we redefined ourselves in ways that nobody could have predicted.

This is just such a time for two precious members of the Collier Connections team. Periodically, both Sam and Trinidad Collier have edited subtitles for YouTube videos and provided a general sounding board and sage advice to their mother (me), on the edge of her growing curve.

And now it’s their turn. This week, my two sons, my teammates, are following their dream together, heading north. They have been procuring licenses, vehicles, insurance, employees, certifications, and information. They have set up a website, an LLC, and GPS technology. Together, they are launching their business as hiking guides in Denali National Park with a focus on sustainability, safety, and fun. Their company, Northern Epics, will serve individuals and groups exploring the wonders of Alaska, satisfaction guaranteed.

I am satisfied, grateful for my learning with them, from moment to moment. “Parenting” these young adults, I am proud and at the edge of my comfort zone. In truth, we never stop raising each other. I am grateful for what they teach me daily about jumping in with both feet, about reaching for the stars, and about aligning with the dream. It’s all glorious … and often deeply uncomfortable in the logistics.

Where in life are you getting a little more comfortable, moment by moment, with the uncomfortable? How do you add gentleness to your journey and how do you foster self-compassion?

Getting Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

Letting Go

Raspberry Thinning