How do we know the next step will appear when we can't see the staircase. We think of all of the possible outcomes, what if I take a step and fall, what if I step into danger, what if, what if, what if...... We can go on forever! But WHAT IF YOU STEP INTO EVERYTHING YOU'VE EVER WANTED! Yesterday I got a video call from Gladys after her day visiting the Selaron Steps and exploring. Let me just say, her day was more than inspiring! So what happened? you ask! It started with Gladys going to have a drink and grub at Cafe Sito ( A well known restaurant in Rio) As she's paying her bill she was not ready to go home, she asked the waiter where she should go. He told her to go home its dangerous to be out in Rio by yourself after 8pm. After long contemplation and asking other people who also said its not safe Gladys decided to trust in her gut and follow her intuition by going on a search for a pendent to go on her "Cowboy Hat" but lets call it her "Alchemist Hat" for obvious reasons. lol Anyway, she came across this store where she found the perfect pendent but was debating on wether or not to buy it because of her budget. How many of us come to that dilemma where we are ambushed by our annoying money conversations? *Raises my hand* After a long debate with herself she decide to trust herself and the universe and bought the pendent. As she continued her exploration she ended up at another store where she found a symbolic shell to put in her hair to represent her journey in Brazil as she's shopping the painter who owned the store sees her and ask, "Hello, did you get that head wrap from the store a few blocks down?" (see picture for reference) Gladys replied "No, I brought it with me from home" the painter then said "Oh! you should go to this restaurant/boutique, they sell traditional african clothes and a bunch of other things I think you'd like". So of course Gladys decides to go to the store. She gets to the store and its like heaven, everything she touched felt like home and everything she saw felt like home. She comes to this beautiful traditional African print dress and trys it on. It was like it was made for her. She looks at the price tag and the dress was too much for what she was able to spend. She steps outside to call a friend from back home and talks to him about the conflict she's having with herself to get the dress or to stick to her budget. Her friend reminded her that if she wants it she should take this opportunity to get it. So she decided to get it and trust that everything will work itself out. She goes to store #3 and something magical happens. As she's looking around in this indigenous Bahia Afro-Brazilian store she tries on these authentic wood framed glasses. The joy that showed on her face was price less. I know, how do I know I wasn't there to see it. Well this is why, there was a person there that noticed her light and also noticed the second it dimmed once she saw the price. This person what many would call a stranger, asked "what happened you were so happy?" Again the money conversation gremlin came up and said "The glasses are completely out of my budget." The guy turns to the cashier and says "Ring this up for my friend!" from that point everything Gladys looked at that lit up her soul he said "Ring that up for my friend!" I know, amazing right? Stay with me now, it gets better! He then invites her and a few of the people from the store to have dinner with him. Gladys was the only one who was able to go! At dinner they talked about their visions, how they ended up in Rio, and their life mission. It just so happened that the guy is a spiritual healer and is working towards building a spiritual holistic treatment center to prevent and heal diseases and will be holding a ceremony in Vegas in June. (Which Gladys & I will be going to) Anyways as they talk and eat and talk some more it was time for them to go their separate ways, for now. ;-) As they are wrapping things up he grabs a folding stack of hundred dollar bills and gives it to Gladys! Gladys was in shock, appreciation, and trust all at the same time. Her initial reaction was "I can't take this from you" but than she remembered this is what this journey is about, TRUST! TRUST in the people she meets along the way to finding her Personal Legend, TRUST in the universe that everything she experiences are answered prayers, and TRUST in her ability to create everything out of nothing, TRUST in the unknown & the beauty in having no clue whats going to happen next while having faith that whatever happens is aligned with her purpose.You see, thats what this journeys about! Its NOT about the money, its NOT about the clothes, its NOT about the dinner, its NOT about the dress, its NOT about the pendent, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MATERIAL THINGS!
ITS ABOUT THE LOVE THAT EXIST FOR HUMANITY WHERE WE ARE THERE FOR ONE ANOTHER WETHER WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR YEARS OR FOR SECONDS. ITS ABOUT TRUSTING OUR INTUITION, SPIRIT, AND THE GUIDES THAT ARE SENT TO US TO HELP US REACH OUR PURPOSE. ITS ABOUT BEING IN THE MOMENT AND TRANSCENDING PAST FEAR. ITS ABOUT BEING OPEN TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES. ITS ABOUT BEING IN-TUNE WITH THE SOUL OF THE WORLD.
IT'S ABOUT BEING, BREATHING, AND LIVING THE ALCHEMIST!!!!!!!!!
“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
