The Path of Grace and Kindness 🌵
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Dear Bold Believer,
As you read this newsletter it’s likely that I’m in the Arizona mountains hiking, meditating, whistling, staying hydrated and of all things - sharing meaningful time with strangers. I’m hiking alone, hitting different trails each day. I share the path with rocks, dirt, grass and shrubs. Occasionally debris of plants that didn’t survive, stem off from the side of the trail, still so much continues to thrive.
I’m finding a lot of life and hope in this desert.
Most hikers give a pleasant “Good morning,” as the sun beams on their faces, and they’re on their way. I get it. We have lots of steps to take, no time for chit-chat right?
Wrong. That’s not my experience. Here in the McDowell mountains in the Sonoran Desert I’ve been reminded to seek out the extraordinary, even in a world that sometimes feels heavy and lifeless. Finding and believing in the goodness of others can help us navigate tough terrain. Allowing ourselves to connect with each other -even strangers in the desert - can immensely invigorate us.
Like my time with “Meg.” I met her last week after my hike. She was snapping photos of layers of wildflowers and plants rolling toward the sturdy mountains. Meg is 60 and is building a website for her new career in real estate. I offered to take a photo of her with the background. Her jazzy blond haircut and wide smile glowed in the desert. Through the 100-degree dry heat, we talked. We cried. We hugged. Topics of grace, starting again, family dysfunction and saving ourselves struck many emotional cords.
“You have no idea how much I needed this today,” Meg said. “I was feeling some kind of way this morning and asked God to help me.”
I told her I didn’t know how much I needed it either. I, too, had prayed that morning while at the peak of the mountain, I said one of Marianne Williamson’s prayers from Illuminata.
I wanted God’s help too. I always want His help.
There, against the backdrop of prickly cactuses and dusty land connectivity lives and kindness breathes.
Two days later, I was leaving the same peak, heading down, sweating like a sauna had swallowed me, and an older gentleman was typing on his cellphone. I recognized him from earlier on the trail.
“You are getting it in today, you took the other trail too?” I asked.
He smiled and slid the phone in his pocket. “Yes, I know these trails well.” Without asking, he joined me on the return of my morning hike, for about 45-minutes or so.
I got to know this stranger by my side, trekking through the rocky terrain. “Edward” was physically fit with a low-keyed voice. Underneath his ball cap was gray hair and a tender smile. He told me that he left corporate banking twenty years ago and started a construction company.
“I wanted out of the rat race. That cycle wasn’t for me,” Edward said.
We talked about diversity & inclusion, burning ourselves out, and living a meaningful life.
My life had more meaning coming out of those mountains. I felt a sense of relief. I left a small piece of myself with Meg and Edward and I had a piece of them. I hope I always have it. My path is much more enlightened after time with them.
The paths we take are always connected to other people. Always. We just need to be open to exploring it.
I am mindful that there is an enormous amount of goodness in the world too. There are caring people that want to learn about you and wish you well on your journey. There are people that need to hear from you and you from them.
Unconscionable things are happening all over the globe. It hurts. We could stay in a constant state of sorrow, panic or anger but that would only add to the problem. I’m hoping that we will move toward grace and always seek the goodness in others. Please don’t give up on each other. We are all we’ve got.
Exploring the Path,
Raquel
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Raquel Eatmon is a Be Bold Accomplice, Keynote Speaker and Author of Beyond Enough How to Lead with Your Whole Self. For over a decade she has produced the Woman of Power Leadership Conference for high potentials. She is challenging audiences to live and lead bolder lives through strategic risk taking rituals. Follow on Twitter, Instagram & LinkedIn
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