Story time!
We have monthly healing circles in our Be Light Program. A few months ago I casually mentioned I’ll be in Italy this month and about ten others said they’d be in Europe, too!
“Omg, retreat?”
“YES!”
“OKAY!”
So I started planning…
Finding the right villa was presenting to be a greater challenge than I had anticipated and I’m used to things falling into place with grace and ease so I consider canceling.
As we get closer to the date, only two students had officially signed up- and, no, they weren’t part of the emphatic ten that had encouraged the retreat in the first place… hmmmm… not sure this makes sense to commit to afterall.
But it felt beyond my control.
Then! I found the perfect villa! And then the most incredible chefs!
Meanwhile the very experience that was bringing me to Italy fell apart. I still hadn’t paid for said villa or chefs… should I cancel?
A month before the retreat and still only two sign-ups but now it’s too late to cancel. I make peace with the intimacy and actually look forward to it! It doesn’t make sense financially but, hey there’s got to be a reason for it, right? So I trust the process and keep it moving.
The day I fly out to Europe my assistant quits abruptly. Gah! I get super sick. Double gah! And, like, just about everything else falls apart.
I call on Illi for help. She agrees to co-host with me and that feels a little easier, yay!
Until… Elīna messages that her flight was canceled and expresses that, in fact, she’s experienced many obstacles surrounding this retreat. Turns out, all four of us had! It wasn’t just me. Is the retreat not meant to be?!
Illi and I look into it.
All I hear is laughter. Omg, our guides were laughing SO HARD at us that we couldn’t help but join them.
The message they offered was to “drop the independence and ask for help- from spirit first and from humans second.”
The obstacles felt like a major shedding of ego, power and control. We were all forced to surrender to spirit. And it was uncomfortable to say the least.
“Everything is in divine order,” they said encouragingly. “You’ve been called here for connection.” We were each being broken open to connect with greater depth and vulnerability.
As weird and messy as the journey was, it felt oddly perfect. Like a rite of passage or something.
Elīna *asks for help* and finds a flight that requires her to extend her trip by a day- a lovely, welcomed plot twist.
Another theme of this weekend has been that we’re receiving what we *need* right now, and it may not look like what we want.
Simply accept and receive.
The obstacles continue!
My flight is canceled, Illi can’t find transportation, Sonya’s plans are re-routed. We were ALL re-routed.
The airport we were all flying into is going on strike. There’s a Formula 1 event that is blocking roads and not to mention a horrible flood that is making it feel near impossible to get to our villa.
We manage to each make it to Italy! Only I fly into an airport much farther away than anticipated, so I can no longer pick up the guests. They’ve both made it clear they’re not interested in renting a car or driving so they buy bus tickets and we decide I’ll pick them up from the station closest to the villa.
If only it was that easy, hahah.
When the bus arrives it’s packed and they’re not allowed on- tickets in hand and all!
We’re all laughing hysterically at this point!
to be continued…