I have just returned from a week on the beautiful West Coast – spending time dancing, praying, resting, and communing at the idyllic Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. Esalen is a place where the gardens are replete with our favorite colors from the Crayola box, the ocean sounds out endlessly, and the vibration stemming from conscious, soul-level personal work is palpable.

What struck me the most during this visit was what I term The Blessed Unexpected. The things that arise from seeming nothingness and evolve into something solid and of import. For me, the range of these blessed events this past week was wide and ended up weaving a tapestry that was rich and life-affirming: the unintended late night that resulted in a powerful connection with the waxing moon and an endless sea of stars; moving with a familiar old friend on the dance floor and being delighted by a new way of moving and connecting that opened my heart wide; meeting a new, kindred spirit that helped to illuminate and shape aspects of my on-going personal inquiry in unforeseen ways; turning back to grab a forgotten item in my room and subsequently crossing paths with one of my totem animals: a rabbit. The list goes on and on. The combination of all of these unexpected moments shifted my internal landscape dramatically. I walk away from these travels with an appreciation for all that I do not know and the limitations that are created solely by my own mind… and an inspiration to open more fully the doors of my still-learning soul.

What an opportunity! To be squarely invited to consider new perspectives and allow them to expand our field of self-awareness and curiosity. By opening our hearts and minds to the Unexpected, we welcome the shape-shifting potential of those experiences. As we pause, notice and give consideration to unanticipated events – rather than brushing them off as coincidence or unimportant passings – we are inherently saying Yes! to the possibility of new insights, learning, and enrichment that can stem from them. Hence the term… Blessed Unexpected.