May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be

E69: An invitation to stillness and acceptance

May you trust you are exactly where you are meant to be

There is a much-loved scrap of paper above my desk. It’s a relic from the days before personal emails when my mother would type or handwrite letters. I have no recollection of the angst I was struggling with at that moment, but she obviously thought it important to wing this prayer across the ocean.

May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be

I found that sentence grounding. Impactful enough that it has moved with me. From my desk in Brooklyn Heights with the view of the iconic arches of the Brooklyn Bridge. To my desk high above Times Square. And back to another desk in Brooklyn with the Twin Tours framed through my window. And here it sits in my home office, across another border, in my daily line of sight.

I do not know why I am called to share this call to acceptance with you today. Maybe you will DM and tell me. My muse asked me to scratch my planned post and share this instead. For some of us struggling with goals, this may be a sufficient start for our New Year 2023 planning.

May today there be peace within

May you trust your highest power that you are exactly where you are meant to be
May you never forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith
May you use those gifts that you have received,
and pass on the love that has been given to you
May you be content knowing you are a child of God

Let this presence settle into your bones,
and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, and bask in the sun.
It is there for each and every one of you.

Edit Jan 6 - This prayer was written in the 1800s by St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897). She died aged 24 of tuberculosis. Reading the comments below from people of all ages and faiths I am struck by the timelessness of this advice, and how accessible it remains today.

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Planning for 2023

I have some ideas for the upcoming editions. Let me know what serves you best:

• I’m planning on bringing back the Meet a Member segment with profiles of the members of Tribe Tilt. We got to know Agronomist Sam Knowlton E37, education entrepreneur Dave Dvorkin E39, innovator Terri Lonier E48, Wildlife photographer Kathy Karn E36 and myself, Karena de Souza E35. Many of us have had circuitous career paths and are great examples to share with GenZ, teachers, and parents wondering how to navigate the Future of Work. Is this valuable to you? May I profile you?

• Would you like an audio version of the newsletter as well as the email?

• I have a few long-form essays in the works. One on the Future of Work. Another on Climate.

• The comments section here has been really active recently. And on LinkedIn, email and Twitter. Is there interest in an Ask Me Anything session once a month? Would you like to try out a shared community space for Tribe Tilt? I’m playing with ideas to create connections, conversations and serendipity between the amazing brains we have assembled here. Kind of the water cooler vibe.

• Do you want to hear about traveling around the world with young children? Excerpts from the published book? Drafts from the next book?

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I hope you liked this short read today. My husband found last week’s year-end message a tad too long! But my mother and many of you muscled through and liked it. Thank you.

We are a group that believe we can make a difference to the people and places that are precious to us - that we have hope and agency in our lives.

Welcome to this New Year - and the remaining 360 sunrises where we get the opportunity to make our difference in the world. I plan on it being a Hell Yeah year for me.

Karena

Photo credit - my husband. Taken at Lake Louise Sep 2022

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