The Fire Within

Hi, friends:

Greetings from New York! I was living here prior to COVID and didn’t know just how long I’d be gone for, so I kept my room here in Brooklyn. I’m finally back to say goodbye, lease out my room and gather my things. It’s bittersweet.

As some of you know, I spent the majority of quarantine in Utah, where I was welcomed by bountiful nature, a quietness, a home. I instantly felt how much I needed that type of peace and it was hard to ignore that New York no longer felt right.

Though my initial plans of staying in Salt Lake fell through, it opened up the opportunity to dust off dreams of long-term travel and execute this new life path as soon as possible

(& whenever the world allows).

If anything, COVID and the uncertainties it came with inspired me to lean towards bold choices. It made me long for many freedoms, including travel abroad. I don’t ever want to take that for granted again or miss another window of opportunity.

It’s not always easy to shift my direction based on feelings—these intuitions I receive like little nudges from my soul. But I try to obey, because by now I know the cost of not doing so is my happiness.

Sometimes I trip up and doubt myself. Specially when people I love question my path. Or when the journey is not easy to traverse. Recently, dealing with the logistics of renting out my room in New York has been stressful.

That, on top of the intensity of the world—plus the losses and redirections I’ve experienced in the last few months—have all left me feeling defeated from time to time.

I’ve cried, I’ve prayed, I’ve drank.

But this fire inside me burns.

There is something it yearns for. Always curious to see what’s around the bend, how the story unfolds, what miracles might arise. As much as we may sometimes think we’re afraid of the unknown, we keep walking right into it.

Even if the world turns on its head again tomorrow, and my plans no longer align with the Gods—I can’t imagine anything short of continuing to strive for happiness. Continuing to create, pray, and even laugh.

On the worst days, when I’m afraid of becoming attached to my dreams of the future, that is the simple hope that keeps the fire alive.

And on better days, when I’m able to find refuge in the present, and embrace simple joys and gifts—like bathing under the long awaited sunshine—I dream.

I manifest.

I visualize my feet in moistened sand, legs enveloped by warm water coming to and from shore. Laughing with strangers who are now friends. Planning adventures on a whim. All the things I love about travel.

Just up ahead. I trust in the timing of things. The embers inside release into the wind.

Love,

Gabriela

Adapting and Transitioning

Now that I’m a full blown New Yorker and here 100% of the time, I’ve noticed how much faster I’m moving on a day-to-day basis. Each minute feels like an opportunity to be productive, and sometimes it’s too much to try and keep up. Perhaps this is not just a New York thing, and no matter where you’re at, you may be facing similar feelings, too. Let’s pause and breathe for a minute.

I mentioned in my last newsletter that I’d left my job as a flight attendant and started working at a healing center in NY. I’ve been processing so many emotions about the transition — both happy and uncomfortable ones. Moving quickly and filling my days with tasks was a great way to distract myself from the self-doubting feelings that arose. I now realized how much I was imposing on myself to accomplish and that I have much more control in slowing down and setting the pace of my own life.

It’s rare for me to not be in some sort of transition, and in a sense, all of us are constantly needing to adapt. Whether it’s adapting to the season, to a new environment, or perhaps to a more subtle change, like a new perspective or revelation. It’s so important to be gentle with ourselves and allow the proper space to process it all, and there are many ways to do this.

I recently did two live streams on Youtube in regards to these topics. One is: How to Support Yourself Through a Transition, and the other is Slow Down and Reduce Stress and Overwhelm.

In both videos I offer some tips on how you can make small changes to create more space for mindfulness, self-care, and support.

What’s one thing you can do today to help you through whatever it is you’re processing?

For me, it’s participating in a positive and uplifting inner-dialogue. Nourishing myself with thoughts of gratitude, and of hope and excitement for the future. It really is the little things that can brighten our experience, help us feel taken care of, and make it easier to take it day by day.

You got this 🙂

Self-Love as Routine

It’s so nice to connect again! It’s my 29th birthday today but it’s also the first day I’ve had to myself since the beginning of the month. All I want to do is that which brings me stability and joy: my routines as well as creating content.

I recently started a new job at a beautiful healing center in New York and have been transitioning out of working as a flight attendant, which has been a huge change! The deciding process took a big leap of faith & the courage to move towards joy even when I had a lot going for me already. The truth is, I wasn’t as happy as I knew I could be, and my heart was begging me to listen and to trust that no matter what, I’ll always be okay. Better than okay.

I’m still processing the change and realizing the ways I can be gentle with myself through the readjustment. This is where routine comes in. It’s becoming more and more apparent how important it is to set some time aside each day to connect with all aspects of myself (my body, mind, and spirit). I prefer having a morning routine that includes stretching & exercise, journaling and meditation.

I highly recommend experimenting with a routine that works for you and allows you to tune in; to listen to your body and obtain the wisdom of your inner knowing. It can be a strong practice of self-love, because you are dedicating time for yourself each day and creating a grounded foundation for the rest of the day to unfold.

When my routine is down and my needs are met, I can have more energy for the rest of the world. Connecting with myself inspires a drive to share my experience with you, and that’s what I intend to do more of this year and beyond ❤