![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/EFEC21A5-506D-4B08-A580-A650EF394450_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
I immediately bought the card and displayed it on my kitchen counter, hoping the reason I was drawn to it would become clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A few days later, the significance hit me like a ton of bricks. The picture reminded me of my Aunt Jane and Uncle Steve\u2019s house in Northern Indiana, where I\u2019d spent a week every summer throughout my childhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As much as I hated to part with the card, I knew I needed to send it to my aunt and uncle, now in their 80\u2019s, still living in that very same house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis card reminded me of your long driveway,\u201d I wrote inside the card. \u201cEvery time we pulled into the driveway leading up to your house, my heart raced with excitement and happiness. I couldn\u2019t reach your house fast enough! The summer visits at your house are among my best childhood memories. Your house was a safe haven to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMG_4690.heic.png\")
Despite mailing the card, I continued to think about the picture and how it affected me. Thoughts turned into strong feelings, and I couldn\u2019t ignore the persistent nudge I felt to actually go there. It had been twenty-some years since I\u2019d visited my aunt and uncle\u2019s house, and I was certain I needed to return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because my aunt and uncle live in the state where I spent most of my childhood and young adult years, my publisher accepted my pitch to make Indianapolis a stop on my Soul Shift spring book tour. I invited my 82-year-old mom to join me on that leg of the tour. Between two book signing events, my mom and I drove several hours north to reach my aunt and uncle\u2019s home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seeing my mom and her sister together after a long separation was incredibly moving. I don\u2019t think I will ever forget how my aunt took one look at her big sister and burst into tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou look so much like Mom,\u201d Aunt Jane cried.<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/4E97BCB5-B92D-459A-8A04-484F10C2E012_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
As they settled in the front room to catch up, I knew I needed to walk the long driveway. My cousin, Delpha, went with me, which was good because suddenly I had a lot of questions. As my brain flooded with memories, I began interrogating my poor cousin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is this where Uncle Steve kept the bees?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Wasn\u2019t there a swing on this tree?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Didn\u2019t there used to be a large drop off from the porch to the ground below?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Why do I remember standing in corn stalks?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n How many green beans do you think we snapped under that tree?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Wasn\u2019t there a clothesline here where we hung clean laundry to dry?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLook inside there,\u201d Delpha said, pointing to a dilapidated metal pole buried inside an overgrown bush. \u201cThat\u2019s what is left of the clothesline,\u201d she laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n At last, we came to the majestic oak tree in the backyard where many a beans were snapped beneath its shade. The tree was ginormous now. I looked out into the cornfield behind their house. Just as I remembered, not another house in sight, only vast fields and endless sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I always hated those summer visits to come to an end, but I never cried when it was time to go back home. I distinctly remember feeling stronger, braver than when I arrived. I\u2019d always thought it was because I\u2019d successfully managed without my parents and participated in adultlike jobs, but now I know it was something even more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At my aunt\u2019s house, I experienced unselfing, <\/em>which is the process of turning one\u2019s attention outward, away from oneself and on to the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Irish philosopher and novelist, Iris Murdoch, coined the term and taught of its benefits. Murdoch argued that if we ‘unself'<\/em> successfully, we experience a change of consciousness that allows us to \u201cstep outside ourselves and recognize there are infinitely many kinds of beautiful lives\u201d. Experiencing this radical perspective shift enables us to see things as they really are, and not through a lens which is clouded by our own desires and concerns. Murdoch discovered that \u2018unselfing\u2019 is readily experienced when we are in communion with nature. (source<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n As summer 2023 draws to a close and fall ramps up, I find myself thinking about that greeting card I came across last August. I am so grateful I listened to that little voice inside me that said, \u201cTake this with you\u2026 this is important\u2026 find out why.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I trusted my heart and allowed that picture to lead me, and by doing so, I made life-changing connections and discoveries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So much of what I experienced during that visit to Indiana surprised me, but what surprised me the most was that the road to my aunt\u2019s house was not as long as I remember. I think that may be the greatest lesson I take away, and that is this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n My friend, the next time life has you feeling overwhelmed and defeated\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n dial up the awe to turn down the mental chatter,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n zoom out to see beyond where you\u2019re stuck,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n immerse yourself in nature and be reminded that you are part of something grand and enduring.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n You, my friend, are stronger than you know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An invitation<\/em><\/strong>… 1. My self-paced, 8-week online course begins Sept 18 and will include a new feature called soulspace. I wanted those who have read (or are reading) my new book or have taken past courses to have a place in which to share their triumphs, struggles, discoveries, and questions. The soulspace weekly gatherings will require no advanced preparation \u2013 just come as you are. Click here <\/a>if you\u2019d like to be notified when registration opens for Soul Shift + soulspace.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. An inclusive, in-person Soul Shift experience can be found at my weekend retreat at the Art of Living<\/a> in North Carolina, happening October 27-29. offers. There are still some spots, as well as several scholarships available. Click here<\/a> to register. <\/em><\/strong> Exactly one year ago, I came across a greeting card that struck me in a way no card ever has. There was no text, just a colorful, hand-drawn sketch of a square house with a chimney. The house was nestled on a hilltop that could be reached by a long, winding drive. A hot-air balloon […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"[]"},"categories":[1826,1735,1767,1747,1760,1763,1838,18],"tags":[],"gutentor_comment":13,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/8D7E073D-1A55-42FF-BAB6-18042BDF641F_1_105_c.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1fUJF-2wb","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9683"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9683\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMG_7079-scaled.jpeg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
I never thought of myself as having a good memory as a child, but going back to this beloved place and recalling these details made me see myself in a new light. Perhaps I was more perceptive than I thought. Several decades had passed, yet I could still hear the buzzing of the honeybees. I could feel my soles ache as I jumped off the porch playing hide & seek. I could smell the scent of laundry detergent my aunt used and feel the wooden clothespins in my hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\nI felt my breath steady.<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I felt the tension release.<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I felt a sense of awe\u2026<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
just like I did as a kid.<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/DSC_0014-scaled.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
There it was! The reason time spent at my aunt\u2019s house left me feeling so empowered. At home, I tended to make myself the center of my own universe, so naturally, everything felt big and overwhelming. But at my aunt\u2019s house, I was immersed in the beauty of nature using all of my senses. There, I was able to \u2018zoom out\u2019 and see my life from a wider perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn other words, feeling small made me feel bigger than the issues I knew would be waiting for me back home.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Experiences that refresh our energies, calm our anxieties, and nurture our well-being are more accessible than we might think. Right outside our door is the opportunity to wander, be curious, and connect to the everyday beauty around us.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Listening to the guidance of my soul, honoring my feelings and needs, and pursuing the delights of my heart led me back to my aunt and uncle\u2019s house last spring; these are practices I have learned through my Soul Shift journey<\/a>. My journey has been greatly enhanced by those who have accompanied me through my online course and in-person retreats. Opportunity to participate in these two offerings are coming up soon, and it would be my honor to journey with you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRachel\u2019s Soul Shift retreat last year in NC changed my life. Even with my crippling shyness and introversion, I was somewhere I felt loved and seen. I still carry that feeling with me and try to pass it on to others when I can. Thank you, RMS, for what you do and what you inspire.\u201d -E.C.<\/em>
*AOLRC is committed to a diverse audience of participants who could not attend without financial support. Please message me or the center <\/a>if interested in applying for a scholarship that covers tuition.<\/em><\/strong>
Thank you for supporting my work and encouraging my heart.<\/strong> \u2764\ufe0f <\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Soul-Shift-Cover-books-page.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"