The way I see it, every day is about letting go of something old, and opening to something new. Therefore every day provides opportunities for an initiation, really.

There are huge and epic initiations, like the ones that we witness in our workshops. People usually come to us because they feel stuck in a particular area in life or in an unskillful way of being. Or they come to us because they just know there is something more, deeper and real that is possible in their life and they want to break through to that “something new” that is calling them.

Our workshop initiations are deep, powerful and intense and people for sure do “break on through to the other side.”

But besides these big initiation moments, there are also so many little daily initiations. If we are honest, most of the time we are not really present; we are so stuck in our habitual rut of how we live life, how we do things, and what we think about ourselves, each other and the world.

We each developed our survival strategies and they are deeply entrenched by the time we are adults. So Life/Grace/God gives us daily reminders that it is time to wake up, to grow up, and to change. We are invited to let go of any of the ways of being that keep us from who we truly are. It is time for a (mini) initiation.

We can identify those invitations to change by some sort of fear we usually feel in our bodies and sometimes even by the voice of our inner critic shouting, “DANGER.” When that happens, we are asked to go deeper, to go what we call “down, up and out” at COR.

The “down” means we find, face and feel whatever is in your way (rather than trying to avoid it or go around it). Then, with every descent, with every initiation, comes the “up,” the rebirth and transformation. There is something beautiful, real, alive and sacred on the other side!

And lastly, the “out” means we then take whatever we have learned, whatever the “something new” is, and share it with others, giving it to the word around us. That is when our transformation truly integrates— when that “something new” keeps living in us. Initiations are never just about us, they are always about passing what we have received on to others.

So dear ones, that means every time you find yourself in a place in your life where you are in some kind of rut, a repetition of unskillful habits, behaviors and thought pattern, it’s time for an initiation! Awesome, right?

So, where is this happening in your life? Where are you asked to go deeper and go “down, up and out” into a new way of being? Leave a comment or let us know so we can hold this with you and send you our prayers and supportive thoughts.