Stand in Your Light

This is who I am insideThis is who I am, I'm not going to hide Cause the greatest risk we'll ever take is by far To stand in the light and be seen as we are So stand in the light and be seen as we are

With courage and kindness hold onto your faith You get what you give and its never too late To reach for the branch and climb up leaving sadness behind Fight hard for love We can never give enough

—"Stand in the Light" by Jordan Smith

I am a huge, huge fan of The Voice. I have only missed one of the last eight seasons. And The Season 9 winner, Jordan Smith, is by far my favorite artist discovered on the show. And it isn't his voice that makes me say this (even though he sings like an angel), but the way he makes me feel and the way he shines so brightly as an individual. He inspires me to be who I am, and so it's no surprise that his first single is "Stand in the Light."

Today, and every day, I am standing in my light and owning my authentic heart. And that heart wants to share all that I am. My words are my passion. I am a writer. I am a poet. I am love. I am light.

A little over a year ago, as I began my journey to own who I am and speak my truth, I received the name of my future book during a meditation: The Patchwork Heart. I quickly bought the domain name and vigorously wrote down my story as it unraveled. I made a goal to launch my website and begin sharing my heart so I wouldn't have to wait until I am published.

I have procrastinated and perfected and poured my heart into my site. And there is still a lot of progress to be made. But I discovered how fearful and limiting my perfectionism is, and that done is better than perfect.

Inspired by Jordan's words to stand in my light, I am here to show you who I am: an open heart, a writer and poet. And I am incredibly proud of that. I come from a lineage of spectacular writers: my mother, Diane Amento Owens and my beloved grandfather, Robert Amento. But more than a writing ability, they passed down faith and passion which I express with each heartfelt word.

I am called to share this love and light with you in hopes that you step into your own light. All we can ever do is be exactly who we are, say all we feel and love as hard as we can. I feel that love starts from within, with deep and meaningful self love. This is where our journey begins for we cannot truly love another in the way they deserve until we love ourselves.

There will be a day when living anything less than a soulful, passionate and authentic existence will simply not be acceptable. For me, that journey began when I began saying yes to myself and what made me feel alive. Taking the road less traveled is paved with unknown territory, but I have found there is nothing worse than not knowing.

Not knowing all you could be if you just step outside your security box and break down your walls of protection. Not knowing the love you are capable of giving and receiving if you take the time to love yourself. Not knowing where your passion and calling will take you if you set aside a job for a paycheck to do something you love and affect change.

I would rather know. I would rather learn to trust and have faith than give into fear. Fear keeps us right where we are but love, love takes us higher. I speak from this higher place of love. I live from this place, I wrote from this place and I serve from this place. There's no other way I would want to live. You couldn't pay me any sum of money to go back to the box of certainty and fear.

I invite you to stand in your light. If you are waiting for certainty or answers or clarity, you won't get it unless you start saying yes to love, trust, and faith.

And the Time Came

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

—Anaïs Nin

This is my favorite quote in the entire world which is a bold statement because I collect quotes by the bucketload.

Anaïs Nin’s words spoke to me deeply at the beginning of this year. Now that 2015 is coming to an end, I’ve blossomed in unexpected yet beautiful ways. But to say that this is the end of my journey to self discovery is far from the case.

In my mind, life is truly beginning because I have learned to embrace all of life and live wholeheartedly. It is as if the fearful weight I carried around kept me from really seeing the beauty in everything the world has to offer.

I love unconditionally, laugh uncontrollably and feel negative and positive emotions without hesitation. I believe life is meant to be lived with an open heart and all that comes with this state of being.

Being in touch with my true self has allowed me to see the potential of all that is possible. 2016 will be an experiment in manifesting the intuitions that 2015 unleashed. I will be sharing my experience on my blog in hopes of inspiring you to blossom.

The Simplicity Behind Synchronicity

Synchronicity is this interesting, funny-sounding word that was created by Carl Jung. And what he meant by it was those times in your life when something appears to be a coincidence but you know that there is more to it than that. There is more than just a random coincidence involved. There is meaning, there is purpose, there is power behind it. —Gary Zukav

As I have learned to tap into my intuition as of late and listen to the deep secrets in my soul that one can only hear when you have quieted your mind, I have discovered my favorite word: synchronicity. I have always been a believer that moments and events can carry meaning, but it’s only in the recent past that I have truly gained the understanding behind the mysteries of the universe. The way I have opened my heart this year, and the lengths at which I have gone to truly listen to my soul has revealed blessing upon blessing.

My dear teacher told me, “There are no coincidences in life.” As I contemplated that philosophy, it resonated more and more with my heart. The journey I have been on since January of this year has laid out the brick and mortar to my true awakening. Had I not allowed myself to fall back on my faith, I’m certain I wouldn’t have been willing to take those blind leaps. But, every single time I did, I got a nudge that the step was indeed in the right direction. I call these “God nudges.” It is simply the universe’s way of tapping me on the shoulder as if to say, “Hey, you are on the right path.”

This is where synchronicity comes into play. When I am tuned into my authentic self and empowering my true soul to shine, I can easily allow my intuition to run wild. It is at this point that I can appreciate the deeper meaning behind seemingly insignificant occurences. I can recognize the meaning or depth behind my life experiences. I can trust that I am taking the steps in the direction that suits my highest self.

Opening your heart is the one thing you must do to release your intuition. It takes falling to the shadow side of yourself. It takes seeing and feeling the darkness of a broken heart. It requires rising from the ashes with resiliency and humility realizing you were meant to fall so that you could rise to your potential. I am writing this from my heart, from the truth I have gathered in the wreckage of my own life deterioration.

The work you must do to open your heart to the truth you are meant to discover is crushing and debilitating, but the light that lingers on the other side is worth every dark and lonely night spent battling your soul. You must accept the grief, pain, loneliness, yearning and sadness in your heart. Once you do, you have to feel every bit of the emotions they uncover. The energy spent in doing this will soothe your soul and break open your heart to your full potential. Before you know it, you’ll emerge with a store of energy that once was burdened by the suffering you refused to listen to.

There is nothing more whole than a broken heart.

—Menachem Mendel of Kotzk

The opportunity to repair your heart and open to the vastness of your soul is not only a gift, but the purpose behind your suffering. At the point in which you have healed your heart and awakened to the meaning and blessings in your life, you have welcomed the universe to reveal all that you were closed off to. This is where the simplicity of synchronicity comes into play. Suddenly, the open place you have carved into your heart reveals a multitude of blessings. You see the meaning behind seemingly meaningless events and each of those events empowers you to take the next step on your journey.

The universe wants to be on your side. God wants you to press on faithfully until you are living your highest purpose. The next time something appears on your feed, or a friend invites you to an event, or someone smiles at you for the sixth time at your favorite cafe, go, heed the call. Put yourself out there and be open to whatever comes your way. Be your own cheerleader in life. Repeat to yourself whatever truth you are too frightened to trust. Today, and everyday, that truth is “Live in Love.” Trust that your life is unfolding exactly as it’s meant to.