My days have been non-stop. I couldn’t even explain to my own mother how busy Charles and I were all week last week, and it keeps going. It feels as if Life has been more demanding since I left corporate employment. One possible explanation may be that my attention and energy are going to the things that matter to me most, which often increases the level of intensity and depth of my engagement. The huge difference though is that even when I am exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally, I feel more alive.

Lately it has felt as if Universe is challenging Charles and me to walk our talk. For over a week now, we’ve been given daily “tests” to apply our consciousness and awareness to stay true to what we believe in and navigate the unknown to the best of our ability. We are taking each step in line with our deepest values, knowing that Life will take care of us no matter what if we live true to ourselves.

It’s becoming clearer to me that we cannot go wrong when we move boldly toward what feels right in our heart and soul. I had an analogous experience today when Charles and I revisited the Washington Park Arboretum. Since we were both so dazzled by the natural beauty of this magical garden when visited over the weekend with our daughters, we returned to it today, this time, without our daughters. It was a perfect day to roam around this botanical gem under the clear blue sky, wispy white clouds, and bright sunbeams.

Each time we came to a fork in the trails, we knew we could not go wrong no matter which way we chose. Just like in our life, beauty and wonder lay in every direction. The place was filled with a wide variety of amazing trees. None of them were the same. They were simply magical to me. I felt like a kid in a candy store. Trees are so astonishing to me — especially the way winter trees exhibit their peculiar beauty when they are bare, without their lush summer leaves. I have a soft spot for the bare branches, particularly gnarly trees with their curved trunks and branches. They remind me of the Wild and Wise Women.

Charles and I sat at a picnic table and had our lunch in the sun. The sun bathed us with its warmth. I felt so blissful and carefree while we sat there and enjoyed our mini getaway in the middle of the day. I heard my heart singing to me, “Life is hard work, but we can choose joy over struggle, beauty over dullness, and love over fear, if we are awake to see, hear, and sense the magic, mystery, and magnificence of Nature from which we came.” With such choices, we cannot go wrong!