The Return…
This whole The Return experience exists because even though I had changed my life completely—swapping a frantic, corporate existence for “living the dream” in rural Baja and riding my horse along the beach at sunset—I was starting to feel a little bit like... well, a little bit like I had back in my harried, hectic, corporate days of rush and hurry.
How could that be? My time was my own. My schedule was my own. I didn’t have to sit in traffic. I didn’t have a commute. I thought I had found “the answer” to what had ailed me—only to find myself right back where I had been, just without the high-paying job that at least gave me money for therapy.
Even though I had changed the scenery—moved to Baja, surrounded myself with horses and garden rows—my brain, I realized, had begun to re-run those old, exhausted tapes of “hurry” and “hectic.”
The ‘Burn it all Down’ Myth
When I had felt this two decades before, I decided to “burn it all down.” I left my job, my life, and moved across the country to start graduate studies at Princeton Theological Seminary. It was my “calling,” and following it was exhilarating.
Princeton led to Scotland, which led back to California, which led to a freelance life that took me around the world, which led to an unconventional ordination, which led me to Baja, which led me to horses...
Which is where I found myself that evening at sunset, riding along the beach, feeling uncomfortably like I was 28 again, sitting in my Honda Accord on the 405 at rush hour.
The only thing was, this time I didn’t really want to “burn it all down.” I liked my life. I had horses. I had fruit trees. Those things were going to be a bit harder to fit in the back of an SUV—plus, I had sold the SUV years ago.
What had happened? And what could I do about it?
Back when I had made that first life-changing leap, I had a phrase I lived by: “Intention carves the path.” Even when no path seems to be presenting itself, it is the intention itself that begins to create the way forward.
Finding Breadcrumbs
Just like two decades before, I began to find breadcrumbs. Not a full map of the journey—just breadcrumbs. One, and then another. I had no idea where they might lead; I just followed them, one at a time.
These breadcrumbs became my practices—the things I knew were necessary to keep me healthy, grounded, and actually present for the life I had worked so hard to build. I needed to find balance. I needed to find connection. In the horse world, those things are often referred to as a “Deep Seat”—that which keeps you balanced and connected, even when the trails of life feel rough.
I needed to find my Deep Seat.
It turns out, it was true.
Here are some of the things I found out along the way:
Our “Internal Algorithm” is skewed. We focus so much on the out there that we forget how to inhabit the in here. We can change that algorithm by shifting our selves, not just our scenery.
Stillness is a physiological need. It isn’t just a “nice-to-have” luxury. It’s the way we arrange our internal parts into a more user-friendly, organized pattern.
The “Hurry Within” is a thief. It steals the “eggs” of our creativity and peace before we even get to enjoy them. If we aren’t patching those leaks, things go pear shaped.
And, me being me - I wanted to find a way to share them with you.
Life is busy. Life is full. But life is also short.
This is for you if…
If you are feeling at all like I felt - like somehow in the midst of trying to ‘live the dream’ you have managed to get a bit off center, a bit out of alignment - or like you don’t even have the time to know what you might need - this is for you.
It is not a course. It is not another thing to add to your to-do list. Think of them as breadcrumbs for the journey - bite-sized morsels - just a short 15 minute a day practice that can be done at any time - to find the center again.
We start this Sunday, April 5 - Easter Sunday. It seems like a good day for new beginnings.
The Return is a 10-week guided journey in bite-sized morsels for anyone who feels “run ragged” and knows that they want more from life but feels too harried and too hectic to find the way.
We’ll be looking at:
The ABCDE Reset: A 60-second framework to find your ‘Deep Seat’ even in challenging situations
The Sunday Inhale: A weekly 15-minute audio “Sabbath” for your ears.
Daily Breadcrumbs: One short question a day to act as a quiet companion in your pocket.
We kick off on Easter Sunday, April 5th. 🤸♀️
To read the full story of how I stopped burning everything down and started sitting deep—and to claim your spot before the early bird pricing ends—click the link below:
