Hey there lovely,

When I am working with my clients, I talk often about chasing the things that light you up as the breadcrumbs that lead you back to yourself and help you build a life that is authentically yours. In this sense, being "lit up" is that feeling that you get when you take a particular shine to something. This can be full-fledged goosebumps or the more subtle inclination to return to a website again and again, scrolling through an offer.

The importance is that we see a piece of ourselves in whatever it is that has captured our attention - and that it allows us to align ourselves more closely with our heart center.

But, chasing the things that light you up can be RISKY, right?

So often, we ask ourselves... What if I make the wrong choice? What if it doesn't live up to my expectations? What if I regret it?

And yet, we chase the things that light us up because we must. Because there is a part of us that knows that we will not be satisfied unless we check it out. Because it is worth the risk

Last week, I had an opportunity to chase something that lit me up - big time. Something that, ultimately, didn't live up to my expectations.

On my drive up the California Coast, I made Cookie and myself a reservation to spend the night in a village of yurts overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

It was the most money I had ever spent on a hotel in my life.

But, I wanted it so badly. I ached for it. There was a piece of myself that I saw in that adventurous glamping experience that I wanted to draw out and explore. I had the money. I wanted to give the opportunity to myself. So, I made the reservation.

We got there just before sunset. It was BEAUTIFUL. We ate a delicious dinner. We got cozy. The bed was really comfortable. Everything was just so gorgeous.

....Until the wind started howling at about 10 pm. And by howling, I mean HOWLING. It was like trying to sleep in a snare drum being kicked down a hill by an angry three year old. It was loud. We were up all night long.

In the middle of the night, I found myself in utter hysterics, because I felt so guilty. I told myself that I should have known! I should have known that it was too good to be true! I shouldn't have wasted my money! I should have stayed in the safety of my cozy home in North Truro, MA where nothing exciting whatsoever happens.

But, this is the anatomy of chasing what lights you up.

Even though the wind was rattling my little yurt like crazy and I was exhausted and I had a complex mash-up of emotions, I was doing something. I was having an experience.

I love that part of me that yearned for that. The part that is lit up by the idea of seeking out that yurt and traveled all the way to the West Coast in order to see something beautiful. I love the part of myself that gave myself permission to spend the money on that experience.

It was worth the risk, even though it didn't turn out the way that I had wanted.

The truth is, our lives are not always going to be perfect. Sometimes you are going to pay a ton of money for a yurt that rapidly becomes your worst nightmare. Sometimes you are going to ask someone out and they are going to say no. Sometimes you will receive 1,000 rejections before someone says YES, they want to publish your book.

But I am willing to take a sleepless night and a couple of rejections if it means that I'm going to get to experience something magnificent along the way.

I hope you take a little risk today. I hope that you summon the bravery to chase something that lights you up. I hope that this story helps you soothe those voices that pounce on your spark and tell you that it's going to turn our horribly.

Do something that is worth the risk.

xxMara

P.s. There are five spots in Body Loving Homework Live!

Body Loving Homework Live is a 12-week group coaching excursion for wild women looking for a tribe. It is a course is about mapping out a new way of relating to yourself – a way firmly grounded in self-love, self-trust and radical self-responsibility.

This course is all about taking risks and reclaiming your life.

Learn more + sign yourself up here.

I know that for some of you, signing up for a class like this is just like making the reservation to stay in that yurt - overwhelming, exciting, terrifying, expensive, thrilling, and, well, huge. I know that sometimes signing up for a class like this can make you feel worried it's going to turn our badly or that you don't deserve it or that you're afraid that you won't follow through.

So, I want to extend an offer to you. If you've been thinking about this class but hesitating to sign up, please hit reply to this email. I'd love to chat with you about it where you're at, what's drawing you in, and whether or not it is the right class for you.