Tag Archives: loyalty

A Wing and a Prayer

“Try not to resist the changes that come your way. Instead let life live through you. And do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come?” ~Rumi

As another year comes to a close, I am astounded that I’m still standing.

So many times I have been knocked down and struggled to get up. So many times I wanted to just give up. So many sleepless nights fraught with anxiety and rage. So many fantasies about eternal sleep.

Then I am gifted with a powerful message from the Great Sphinx of Giza. I am called to her… to lay my hands on her and receive her ancient wisdom….

“REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE. When you remember how powerful and precious you are, there is nothing to fear. When you remember your divinity, all feelings of not being good enough, of not being worthy of love will fall away. Stand strong in truth & integrity and know that you are loved, protected and valued beyond measure.”

As I received these words, I broke down and sobbed. I cried for my younger self who endured so much suffering at the hands of others. I cried for all the abuse I inflicted on myself because of the very wrong ideas that sprang from this suffering that told me I am unworthy of love.

I cried for all the years I spent hustling for my worth in doing, doing, doing trying to prove I had value at the expense of my physical and emotional health.

Those lost to their own sense of worth will never see it in another, so spending my life trying to seek that validation from others was a fool’s errand. Our value is inherent…. The choice to hand that power over to another wounded soul seems silly to me now. How lost and misguided I was.

Now is the time for reclamation.

As I reflect on my recent experiences in Egypt, I am profoundly grateful for the powerful message from the Sphinx and the call to courage bestowed upon me.

I am exhausted and overwhelmed but I am clear on my mission and trust that I am fully supported and capable of navigating whatever challenges come my way.

I leave you with these words:

Go at it boldly, and you’ll find unexpected forces closing round you and coming to your aid.

~William Benjamin Basil King.

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

The Beautifully Ugly Truth

The past few birthdays have brought a reckoning for me.

I’m usually found crying, raging, or both. Each year I fall into a pit of despair and self pity. And then an epic existential crisis unfolds….

Why am I here?

What is the point of it all?

What have I accomplished that has any real value?

Am I truly loved?

How can I truly love others if I don’t love myself?

Did I fail as a mother, a wife, a friend?

Did I take more than I gave?

Did I sacrifice too much for safety and security?

Did I waste my life by not following my own dreams?

And on and on it goes….

But these breakdowns always precede the breakthroughs.

When I feel my heart breaking, I lean in and then pivot.

I allow my heart to break… wide open.

Now is the time for courage…

For releasing the false truths that bind me to suffering….

For trust.

For dreams to unfold.

No more shame inducing toxic positivity.

No more ego driven pursuits.

No more resistance to vulnerability.

No more meeting bitterness with bitterness.

In hating my enemy, I have become my own worst enemy.

I will stand up for truth and honour… WITH truth and honour.

I will not be reduced by the ancient storylines of trauma, my own or another’s.

I will feel all the feels and express them openly and unapologetically.

I’m no longer interested in false bravado for image’s sake.

My strength and resilience are the truest gifts of suffering.

My strife has been my greatest ally….

A faithful servant no matter how much I rage against it.

I am in the arena getting my ass kicked.

That is what I signed up for in this life.

I chose the path of the warrior.

Some days I quiver and fall apart, but I always get back up and get back in the arena.

Why? Well… this quote by Brene Brown says it best….

“I want to be in the arena. I want to be brave with my life. And when we make the choice to dare greatly, we sign up to get our asses kicked.

We can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time.

Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome.

Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.

A lot of cheap seats in the arena are filled with people who never venture onto the floor. They just hurl mean-spirited criticisms and put-downs from a safe distance.

The problem is, when we stop caring what people think and stop feeling hurt by cruelty, we lose our ability to connect. But when we’re defined by what people think, we lose the courage to be vulnerable. Therefore, we need to be selective about the feedback we let into our lives.

For me, if you’re not in the arena getting your ass kicked, I’m not interested in your feedback.”

Brené Brown, Rising Strong

Many blessings, Jana ✨💠✨

The Wounding

“Your word travels the entirety of space and reaches my cells which are my stars then goes to yours which are my light.”

~Frida Kahlo

I thought my heart irrevocably broken

That I would never again feel whole

Each shattered piece

Piercing

Bleeding

A hurt so intense

I thought I might die

When you kiss my wound

It stings

The delicious pain

Of being brought back to life

Will I ever trust again?

Betraying myself

Trying to love someone too broken to receive it

Am I too broken now to receive your love?

I sprinkled my wounds

With fairy dust and sparkles

Pretended to be fierce

Beyond reach

To those who sought to harm me

The same who once claimed to love me

Still…

The arrow got through

My armour disguised as enlightenment

True love doesn’t require an armouring

Does it?

But what do I know of true love…

I only know betrayal

Lies and deceit

Frost bite

Disguised as affection

Abandonment

Disguised as support

Bullying

Disguised as protection

And then you come along

Tending to all my wounds

With such delicate care and devotion

So gentle and reverent

You hold my heart

Tenderly

I push you away

Again and again

Yet you remain steadfast

And dedicated

Courageous and strong

Afraid of losing you

I ran away

Before another wounding

Another devastating loss

That would surely destroy me this time

We were destined

To find our way back together

To traverse this love

This life

Hand in hand

Healing each other

Along the way

I can shed my heavy armour

Finally

You remind me

Of who I am

Underneath all the wounds

Of my strength

My courage

My capacity for love

You know heartbreak and betrayal

Intimately

Yet you love with such stubborn loyalty

Showing me my heart is safe in your hands

I thought I knew what love was

I had every exact detail written in stone

What a fool I was

Loving and embracing

each other’s and our own perfect imperfections

Trusting each other to hold our vulnerability

A life of

Intense soul shifting passion

Deep belly laughs into the wee hours of dawn

Blissful sleep wrapped in each others arms

Sexy adventures

Sharing our hopes and dreams

Our pain and fears

Growing in truth

Falling deeper in love

Every single day

Challenging each other to

Evolve

Transcend

Release stale versions

Of who we became

After so much wounding

I have finally found my home

In you

In us

And I am here to stay.

Can’t Resist You

You came crashing into my heart

A gift from the heavens

The intensity of you

Catches my breath

You claimed me

Caught me in your grasp

An arrow to my heart

I bleed for you

I tried to run

My fear of being broken

Again

Consumes me

You hold onto me

With fierce determination

Dedication

Still I resist you

Can this love be true

Our souls collide

Merging together

As destiny laughs

Have we loved before

I dream of you

Your dream of us

Blissfully us

Awakens my sleeping heart

Devoting your life to me

Without a second’s hesitation

So calm

And brave

Teach me how to love

Like this

Emerging from the dark

To swim in your light

Bathing in your essence

Purifying my spirit

With your truth

Be gentle with my heart

The glue

Holding it together

Is barely dry

Can I trust you

To protect this sacred love

To hold it with courage

Reverence

Tenderness

I can’t resist you

Any longer

Take all of me

I am yours

You are mine

We are us

Grow with me

Fly with me

Dance with me

Hold on tight

It is time

To step into a new adventure

Together my love

Forever ❤️

Sacred Mirror

“This is a subtle truth. Whatever you love, you are.” ~Rumi

a tapestry of trauma

tiny moments

a cruel word

a rejection

a dismissal

an unmet need

a disrespected boundary

small betrayals

a lack of courage

the tiny puzzle pieces

finally came together

I saw the truth of you

the truth of me

a sacred mirror

I inflicted these traumas on myself

not having my own back

saying yes, when I meant no

rejecting my own needs

disrespecting my own boundaries

dismissing my own dreams

following you

when you didn’t know how to lead

betraying my divine feminine

for your unhealed masculine

we met in our shadows

I choose the light

meeting my sacred mirror

but in healed union

will set our souls ablaze

for when the cosmos aligns

the ecstasy begins

Enraptured

Artwork by Jen Shearer

I dared you not to fall in love with me

You took that dare

I conquered your heart in a single moment

You enraptured me at first touch

I get lost in the intensity of your grasp

You hold me with such reverence

I am mesmerised

By your hypnotic gaze

I long for you after only a moment’s absence

I crave you like an addict

You see all of me

Raw

Naked

Vulnerable

Heartbroken

Rapturous

Silly

Clumsy

Dancing

Spinning madly

So in love with you

You made me feel safe again

No longer afraid to speak my truth

Take up space

Make some noise

Express my hunger

Expose my shadow

I show you my warrioress

My tenderness

My fear

My weariness

You stand with courage

Consistent

Never flinching

Nor retreating

I don’t scare you

Because your heart is strong,

wide open

Ready to receive my love

The brutal betrayals

Broke my heart wide open

Showing me what love isn’t

The scattered pieces have come together

In a tapestry of divine truth

Trusting you was easy

Your kindness a beacon

I have always loved you

In your arms is like coming home

Your heart my sanctuary

Sexy adventures await us

Fun and belly laughs

Lusty moments

Dreamy quietude

Stepping beyond our comfort zones

Abundant bliss our reward

Living out loud

Strong alone

Indestructible together

Devouring each other under a starry sky

Let me crawl inside you

Forever connected

Spellbound

I am hopelessly captivated by you

The distance no match

For destiny always finds a way

Take my hand, my love

Our future awaits

Because of you…

“The minute I heard my first love story,
I started looking for you, not knowing
how blind that was.
Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere.
They’re in each other all along.” ~Rumi

You entered my sunlit dreams

offering your heart

so open and warm

I melted into you

So steady and sure

you held onto me

with a strength that calmed my fear

Your devious charm

seducing me

with belly laughs

and innuendo

Your voice

your moans

the way you sigh my name

lights a fire inside me

Throwing caution to the wind

with eyes and hearts open

allowing our souls to find their way back together

We have loved each other

for eons

reconnecting with so much ease

letting the How unfold

as it is meant to

Our illusion of control

destiny laughs at us

no point in resistance

the stars are aligned

My healing heart

bursting open

ready to receive

the magic of you

I want to hide

drawing into myself

you seek me out

pulling me closer

I am braver

because of you

I am stronger

because of you

you are my sanctuary

You lift me up

hold me tight

blow my wings open

launching me free

Always flying back to you

where I belong

tether me

to your heart

Side by side

we journey together

great adventures await us

growing and glowing

You are my forever

my light

my love

always

Surrender

your soulful eyes

light me up

when you stare hungrily at me

your long fingers

stop my ragged breath

as they trail up my legs

your lips

so soft and full of promise

make me wild

with desire

your strong hands

pulling

pushing

grabbing

holding me down

lifting me up

caressing every part of me

your long wet tongue

teasing me

circling around my secret door

making me crazy with anticipation

tell me your secrets

your fears

your dreams

what moves you?

what lights you up?

you move so slow

achingly slow

purposefully

skilfully

watching my rapture

overwhelmed

with so many feelings

so many delicious thoughts

scrambling my mind

words fail me

such intense longing

waking me up

from a lifetime slumber

passion coursing through my veins

I want to taste your essence

worship at your altar

run my tongue all over your body

licking you

swallowing you

devouring you

greedily

as you watch.

take control of me

live out your fantasies

do what you want

with my body

and my heart.

you look at me

like a hungry predator

what do you crave?

tell me how to feed you

take me gently

my love

rougher now

ravish me

our bodies move to the edge

my wanting is fierce

love me

harder…

deeper…

deeper still

I want to feel you

inside every part of me

merging into one

come with me

bask in my garden

sleep in my shade

let me warm your weary spirit

etching my name on your heart

to remind you

of this moment

never forget me

wrap your arms around me

envelop me

possess me

guard me

pretend I am yours

alone

surrender to me

do not resist

I want you

to hold nothing back

I see through your armour

we have loved before

I am yours

for the taking

consume me

quench your thirst

feast on me

fill yourself completely

I am limitless

I am a game changer

altering you forever

releasing you

from all that came before

right here

right now

is all we have…

and all that matters

Dear…..

as I rise

I feel your judgement

quietly resenting my release

free from the shackles

that bound me to a much too small life

wings clipped

by a thousand criticisms,

rejections and betrayals

feather by feather

left crippled and afraid

until one day

with nothing left to lose

all dignity lost

I set myself free

my healing has been long

painful

messy

at times ungrounding

all over the place

up

down

moving between moods

like a toddler

and so what?!

I want to feel

all my fucking feelings

I am not afraid

I am a warrior

built for hurricanes

so spare me your judgement

disguised as concern

of how I’m choosing to heal

don’t you worry about me

check your own damn self

I am free

to laugh

to dance

to make love

to relish every single moment

the deliciously sexy ones

the joyful ones

and even the gloriously,

excruciatingly

painful ones

I am rising like the Phoenix

I will not sit down,

shut up

and behave

like a good girl “should”

I will roam free

roaring as loudly as I want

making all the mistakes

that my newfound freedom allows

risking a broken heart

if that’s what it takes to be fully alive

open hearted

vulnerable

fierce

I will not hide behind what is comfortable

safe

allowed

throwing caution to the wind

logic out the window

I will move with my soul’s longing

I will follow my passion

find my bliss

blaze the trail

take the heat

your need to push me down

make me small

diminish my light

is your own fear

holding you back

my awakening scares you

reminds you of what you’ve lost

hiding behind your rules

your safety net a prison

of your own making

put it down and join me

on this exhilarating rollercoaster

we can never know how strong we are

until we flex our muscles

grab hold of our power

our sovereignty

as free wild women

a road less travelled

but the only path to liberation

join me there

Come find me

I want to be your obsession, not your distraction

I want to weigh passionately on your mind and in your heart

I want you to crave me, to look for me in your dreams

I want you to be willing to move mountains to get to me

I want you to hold me so tight my breath catches in my throat

I want you to touch, to savour, to devour every inch of my body and soul

I want you to stand bravely by my side and face all kinds of weather…. storms as well as sunshine

I want to feel adored, safe and cherished

I want you to put your hand in mine and journey with me to higher realms

I want you to protect me… protect us, with unyielding devotion

I want you to hold my tears, not cause them

I want you to tenderly and reverently hold my heart, not break it

I want you to tell me the truth, not bludgeon me with it

I want all of you, not just the shiny parts

I want you to show me all your colours and your shadow and love me in mine

I want a sacred union of trust

I want you to join me in the vulnerable place, mine and yours

I want a cosmic love that transcends time and space

I am waiting

Come find me