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Hi friend,

Thank you for opening my letter.

It means a lot to me.

On June 1st, I ran my fourth-ever marathon. It was the slowest marathon I've ever run. Not by much, by a couple of minutes.

Do you know what? It's okay. I'm happy with my time.

I can go into many reasons why I didn't run as fast as I had anticipated, the unusual heat being the main one (also, there were issues with the water supply).

I'm learning to reframe old beliefs I've grown up with, change my self-perception, and live life in my way and pace.

Here's something interesting: while I was running, I was listening to an interview with a Jungian psychoanalyst.

As I was pressing on in the heat, surrounded by 20,000 other runners and an amazing audience, I was reflecting on my path in life. The ups and downs and how I can invite others into the healing journey I am on.

This journey is essentially about thinking about what I want from my life, and what I want to create in this life that comes from me.

Many, if not most, of us, live life based on the expectations of others. We grow up in different environments, and these environments articulate expectations. They see certain qualities in us and encourage us to take a certain route.

We may, rightly so, listen to these expectations and the cultural messages that we are surrounded by. But at some point, you'll reach a point where you wonder why you are doing everything that you are doing. What is your motivation and why did you embark on this journey in the first place?

Listening to James Hollis talking about how he sees the first half of life as a mistake made me curious. The mistakes in your first half of life can serve as a wake-up call.

He suggested that we ask the following question:

• What does my soul want to express in the world through me?

No longer is it about what others expect me to do. No longer is it about allowing my fear to stop me from exploring a new path in life. No longer is it only about what others need ME to do for THEM.

The question shifts the focus to aligning myself with the world. Not only what the world needs but what my SOUL wants to express or create in the world.

Soul is a metaphor he uses to describe our psyche (which means soul), our inner processes, and our self-perception - the totality of our conscious and unconscious existence.

I dug deeper into Hollis's books and discovered a treasure and wealth of wisdom.

What's the biggest barrier to transformation?

Our fear of change, our fear of the unknown.

Yet it is at the brim of the unknown that growth lies.

Everything within us that stops us from stepping into the unknown, from stepping into becoming ourselves, stops us from this growth and healing.

If you sit with yourself for fifteen minutes every day without any distractions and a pencil and a blank page and only write what comes to your mind, you'll soon discover a deep longing within.

Hollis writes that our souls want us to live bigger lives. If we only sit and listen and follow its whisper, we'll be supported on the journey. Supported by our soul.

Reading this, you either think that I am crazy or that my piece of advice is not practical.

Or, you have been in touch with that part of yourself that longs for something more.

Then comes fear to whisper: "You have bills to pay. Nobody can make a living doing what you want. I have responsibilities and I can't waste my time doing this."

Your inner script may berate and warn you differently. But it certainly will in one way or another.

It is up to you if you want to listen to it or not.

Notice the voice without any judgment.

Ask your soul what it wants you to express and create. Then go and do it and listen some more to see if you're getting closer to becoming yourself.

Do note that I do not suggest you take risks that will disable you from caring for yourself and your family. No, I am all about exploring from a position of security.

But at some point, you'll reach the stage when discomfort hits you like a slap in the face and numbs you.

Expect it to happen. Embrace it when it comes.

Until next time, be well.

With great love,

Gabe

Ps. As you are reading this, I am enjoying a hike in the Swiss alps with my children and wife. I'll let you know what it was like. ds.