A few years ago, a friend showed me photos taken of of her skydiving.  While looking at the photos, I was surprised, pleased and excited when this thought came to me, “If I ever go skydiving and the parachute doesn’t open, I hope I remain fully conscious and present.  This is something that’s probably only going to happen once and I don’t want to miss a thing.”

Three years later, I received a call from a friend who told me that my guides had given her a message for me.  I was told through her that it was time for me to leave Malibu.  I’d received similar messages before about traveling to or relocating to various parts of the world.  The messages, or ‘orders’ as I like to call them, came in a variety of ways—through meditation, a guidance session,  visiting a sacred site, a certain ‘knowing’ and as was this one—through a friend’s spiritual ‘meeting’ with my guides.   

I loved Malibu and I loved my life there—I didn’t want to leave.  As my friend and I talked about it, I was seized with lump in my stomach, breath stopping, heart-palpitating terror.  I didn’t know where I was to go or what would happen to me.  I only knew that my friend, the messenger, had delivered a truthful message and I would have to follow orders. 

After the phone call, I made my way, doubled over in terror, to my dressing area, which was across from the bathroom.  Earlier that evening, I’d turned off the bathroom light and closed the door, but now the bathroom door was open and the light was on and I found myself looking into the eyes of the woman who was staring at me from the bathroom mirror.  She was clear, direct and fearless as she returned my gaze and said, “Well, the chute’s not opening.  What are you going to do?” 

Right then and there, I knew—I was going for it—fully conscious, present, eyes wide open.  And just like that—the terror was gone.  Over the next few weeks, as I dismantled my life, I experienced many feelings, among them—doubt, sadness, elation, excitement, wonder.  I felt fear, too—not the paralyzing terror I‘d experienced at the beginning—but the fear that comes with not knowing what’s next. 

I also felt the exhilarating “wildness” of it.  I had embraced and embarked upon an adventure that only promised me this—that as long as I listened to and followed God’s instructions, I would walk through whatever fires presented themselves to me, defeat whatever monsters that tried to devour me and remove whatever obstacles that blocked my path.

And of course, befitting any epic adventure, there were fires, monsters and obstacles that had to be contended with.  There were also signs, miracles and sightings that I’d never have seen and been a part of if I’d panicked because the chute wasn’t opening.    

That’s the abridged version of how I got to the place I now call home.  God was right, too.  Sending me here was one of the best things that ever happened to me.  It didn’t take me long to realize that I was here to reconnect with kindred spirits.  (If God had left it up to me—there’s no way I‘d have left the idyllic paradise of Malibu AND there was definitely no way I’d have left Malibu to move to a place where there was snow!)

Living and operating by faith and trust is hard at times and requires a lot of courage, but it’s oh so exhilarating, magical and rewarding!  I live a life that’s propelled by the energies of The Fool, The Tower and The Star—three of the most dynamic Tarot cards in the deck.  And living that way does, indeed, require the above mentioned faith, trust and courage.

When did you last heed the call of your inner compass?  When did you last grab onto The Fool as he stepped off into the great unknown, taking you to a new world of discovery and wonder?  When did you last meet yourself in the midst of truly living your life as you were meant to?

We live in interesting times.  We always have and we always will.  This is the moment you’ve been waiting for; now is the time—how will you respond to the invitation, “The chute’s not opening.  What are you going to do?”