As the new year begins, I find myself returning to this idea: that every journey starts not with the step, but with the pause. This pause might look like sitting quietly at a window, journaling in the soft light of dawn, or sharing an unhurried conversation with a trusted friend. It’s not about action; it’s about presence.

This season, I’ve been thinking about the simple ways we tend to our inner lives. For me, it’s the quiet moments when I allow myself to sit with gratitude for the small, good things: the crispness of an autumn morning, the sound of my child’s laughter, or even the stillness in my own breath. It’s the practice of softening my grip on perfection, letting what I have and who I am be enough.

What if our religion was each other/ If our practice was our life/ If prayer, our words/ What if the temple was the earth/ If forests were our church/ If holy water – the rivers, lakes, and ocean/ What if meditation was our relationships/ If the teacher was life/ If wisdom was self-knowledge/ If love was the center of our being.

As I reflect on the question, “How Can I Be Me?”, I invite you to ponder the same: “How Can You Be You?”

Stop asking: Am I good enough?/ Ask only/ Am I showing up/ With love? - Julia Fehrenbacher

"by tending to the river inside, keeping the water rich and deep, keeping a bench for you to visit." - Here at the Innerwork Center, we are “keeping a bench for you to visit.”