Happy Sacred Sunday!
Today is the last Sacred Sunday of August, which means today is a perfect day to carve out a little time for reflection so you can move into the new month with clarity and purpose.
As I reflect on my August, I keep thinking about the saying, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.”
There were three intentions that dominated my August.
The first was Simplify August. I chose it because I knew what was coming. My kids were going back to school and we were finally replacing the floors in our house. I sensed this would be a month where keeping things simple and organized would be essential.
The second came up in one of The Well’s weekly calls. Alive August. Even though I’d already chosen Simplify, Alive felt more right. That was the vibe I actually wanted.
And then a friend invited me to join an August challenge, singing a little song called The Happy Cell Song every day for all thirty-one days. I got on that train and I was not getting off.
And then life did what life does. It threw some curveballs.
This month my son ended up with acute appendicitis, landing the two of us alone in an Atlanta hospital facing surgery. And I am currently writing this to you from my floorless home, in the middle of an unexpected and very painful root canal.
The month went from alive to survive. Which brings me back to the God saying and the thought that the Universe is showing off its sense of humor.
On the surface, it looks like my intentions this month were pretty unsuccessful. But I say it’s quite the opposite.
I think they were exactly what a month like this needed.
Simplify is what kept me focused on what matters most all month. Alive was the thought that kept me in gratitude despite the chaos. And The Happy Cell Song brought joy, humor and fun on days when life was otherwise painful.
The intentions did not protect me from the month. They carried me through it.
Here’s what I want you to take from that.
You cannot stop life from surprising you. August proved that to me more than once. But you can choose what you filter those surprises through.
Without an intention, a hard month becomes a story. “This year is a disaster.” “Nothing is going my way.” “I never get a break.” Those stories are how the drift begins, because once you believe them, you stop looking for anything else.
With an intention, the same month becomes something you navigate with purpose. Same appendicitis. Same root canal. Same floors. Different filter.
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That’s the power of naming your intentions. You can choose to believe the Universe is playing a joke on you, or that it has a beautiful way of giving you opportunities to live out your intentions if you choose to pay attention.
I choose the second one. Every time.
Which is exactly why I named September what I did.
Remember September.
On this week’s episode, I’m sharing where the theme came from and what I want us to do with it this month. It came straight out of everything I just told you.
[Listen here]
Sending you so much love today and always,
