In the spirit of this beautiful poem by Maya Angelou, what I want to offer you is encouragement to continue to be who you are. This is a time to find your own center – to live from there and to express yourself from there. The ebb and flow of our times are challenging, and they may seem upsetting, dangerous, and unpredictable. Throughout history, we humans have been tested, and yet what ultimately prevails is love, generosity and wholeness. 
 
This is a time to remember that we are all in this epic period of human history together. Each of us will have moments of grace and celebration as well as encounters with fear and devastation. Both of these states of being are part of our human journey. They strengthen our character and give us access to more depth and greater compassion. And at the same time, what endures and is always the source of our resilience is our capacity to love and to connect with the spirit of life.
 
Sara and I recently returned from another profound journey into the Sacred Headwaters of the Amazon rainforest with 17 extraordinary leaders. We once again had access to powerful messages from Mother Earth and to the great wisdom of our Indigenous partners. Like Indigenous people throughout the world, they have endured nearly unconfrontable challenges, yet they have prevailed by remaining centered in their profound relationship to the natural world, to the Great Mother. It is a connection that has never wavered for them, and which is expressed in their deep and cohesive bonds of community.
 
We, too, can find what we need to continue in these times from seeking and maintaining community connections and from immersing ourselves in the beauty and majesty of the natural world. And, no matter what is happening with the affairs of the world, we will be strengthened by practicing gratitude for all the blessings of our lives. As Maya says, “let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel.”
 
With love and appreciation,

Lynne