Chasing Clarity: The never-ending journey to it (ALL) continues.

Today is my last day being 51. And whoa, what a different kind of year it has been. To state the obvious, surviving and thriving during a Pandemic has been a wild experience and a BIG accomplishment. In other words, not much else matters other than the fact that we are still standing. Somedays, I’ve really questioned what it’s all about. WHY? Well, if anything became even more clear in 2021, it’s been the need to be even more deeply committed to my faith in divine timing. I’ve had to wake up every single day of year 51 and remind myself that I am on the right path to next-level growth. Even if it didn’t feel great every day, it’s been the right path.

How do I know this with such conviction? For starters, I had my last sip of alcohol on Nov. 12, 2020. Since then, I have had no choice but to feel EVERYTHING one feels when you no longer turn to any mind-dulling, body-numbing substance to take the edge off. Why did I opt out of drinking alcohol socially? I never saw myself as an addict, or even someone who needed to drink booze, but I also know that none of my best life decisions were ever made under the influence. So, after three years of birthdays that involved a LOT of tequila, sake, whiskey and the resulting day-after hangover, this year is really really different.

I decided to come to Denver for the week to truly get a change of scenery from Maui. As much as I love the island, and have immersed myself into life there, I also really crave the different energy that arises when you shift your physical setting. So that’s what this clarity-seeking birthday is themed around. NO ALCOHOL but lots of delicious food, time with friends, walks around a city I enjoy and fresh mountain air on the brink of snow (which I’ve not seen in a while).

Won’t say this past week has been easy. It’s actually been pretty terrible, as I had to say good-bye a little sooner than expected to one of my beloved rescue pups. His name was Romeo, and I’d rescued him for my mom in 2008, as a companion/lap dog after my dad died. She was going through chemo for the breast cancer that had come raging back, and Romeo was her therapy dog/BFF who made her laugh. When she passed away in 2014, it was a no-brainer that he’d come live with me in LA at that time. He since moved with me to Maui (twice) and did…