This is the fourth card for my 52 Cards Project.

Thursday I was driving home from the grocery store and I found myself waiting in a line of cars taking their turn at the stop sign. And then I looked up.

This is the way a theme for my weekly card project seems to arrive. I loosely look for it as I go about my days, and then I wait. Sometimes it’s a clear idea and sometimes—like this week—it begins with an image. The word just downloads from there.

Connected.

This week I had a lot of time for myself and I felt really connected—grounded in my full present experience—and it felt amazing. Calm and clear. Peaceful.

I can’t say I felt that way the whole week. Not too many of us can stay present with ourselves all of the time, and if we’re challenged, oof, it’s hard. But even in a week of relative low stress one night I fell into overwhelm and overthinking, mind spinning out of control.

And in the midst of spinning mind, I remembered the meditation practice Hoffman taught me to check in and connect with my Self. Breathing in and then out, my mind and heart slowed…and expanded…and I was present again.

I saw so clearly the difference. When I’m not connected—whether it’s being distracted, worried, anxious, over-planning, striving, feeling overwhelmed, overthinking, reacting (etc., etc.).—nothing inside is slow and I am not fully present—to anything. And nothing about that feels good!

So to finish the story of the theme, the next day I was working on my art—feeling connected and alive—and two things happened. First, I thought about how my art practice has long been a fantastic life practice to connect to my Self. When I release all the striving and need for some sense of accomplishment or purpose (too often!), I simply feel amazing. I am connected to my true self…and that is purpose enough…and…

…just as that thought came, I tuned into the song that was playing on my phone at that very moment:

“Be here now, no other place to be

All the doubts that linger, just set them free…”

and later…

“Everything that’s happened, all that’s yet to come

is here inside this moment, it’s the only one.”

(Be Here Now, Mason Jennings)

Oh how I love those winks from the Universe!

So yeah, my theme for the week is connected, and when I looked up at that bird high up in the trees, I was reminded that connecting with Self IS connecting with life—all of life on this beautiful blue planet we call earth.

And this week feels like a full tilt commitment to connected.