Desert Varnish

When I was growing up, sharing experiences meant talking about what was bad—what someone did wrong—sharing negative judgments about ourselves and others. Someone who shared positive, uplifting experiences, as I have in the book I’m writing, would have been labeled “uppity” or “big headed” or “self-righteous.”

Recently I had to stop writing because I was drowning in the old voice of self-condemnation and limitation.

 A bit later, a friend pointed out one of Sedona’s red rocks with black areas of “desert varnish,” a patina that forms through the years and increases uniqueness. Then I realized that I could think of these old voices as my “desert varnish.” They are part of a pattern that I can notice, appreciate, and walk away from.

The truth is, my state of mind and yours are a choice. And the whole truth is, we attract what we emit. We truly can live the lives we want.