What We Owe Each Other?

The other night I received a concerned text from a friend and local business owner who had opened her space to me (quite generously) in the past for events. In the note, she expressed her unsettlement that I was no longer utilizing said space when it had been something special to her brand and offerings.

Upon receiving the note, I felt the hearkening of a distinct emotional decision point: Do I take the path of anger? (Who does she think she is? She doesn’t own me and my work!) Or do I take a breath, put the phone down and consider where this wonderful human being might be coming from?

Luckily, I chose the latter.

And as I stood over the sink washing some on the evening’s dishes, I thought, with as much compassion as I could muster, about the situation at hand. What, if anything, did I actually owe her in this relationship?

This woman had offered up her space to me for free. And while that generosity does happen for my events and classes at times, it is never something to take lightly in a culture hypnotized by greed.

She had shared a manifestation of her work in the world with grace and ease and I had used it with appreciation and excitement many times. I was only outgrowing it as my workshops and classes have expanded. So again, what exactly did I owe her?

And then it hit me.

I owe her kindness.

I owe her the kindness of a more vehement gratitude for her opening her doors to the workshops held there.

I owe her the kindness of empathy - relaying some of my initial unsettlement when other women started holding moon circles or teaching similar mediation classes after attending my own.

I owe her - in an authentic and non-condescending manner - a discussion of how I’ve worked through my own triggers re: competition and scarcity and how they’ve led me to some of the most powerful growth in self, business, and spirit.

I owe her the kindness of respecting her opinion but also sharing my need to be a good steward of the Wandering Wellness Community.

I owe her kindness of remembering we’re all in this together - working, day by day, to improve this planet and elevate the consciousness of its people.

And, I probably owe her a wonderful lunch/catch-up date - on me.

In a world with messages of scarcity and fear, it’s easy to become contracted and threatened by unforeseen change. But if we continue the work of centering into that mystical tapestry of human connection, and then acting and responding from that connected place, the fear dissipates, the competition is irrelevant, and everything that moves in the direction of higher evolution becomes cause for celebration.

We owe each other kindness. We owe ourselves and our families and our communities kindness. We owe each other the space to consider and reflect on kind courses of action even in the midst of triggering moments. For those nuggets of wise-kindness hold the biggest potential of all.

So thank you, my friend, for allowing me to share this experience of personal growth with our community. I am so tremendously grateful and very excited for our lunch date.