BODE Magazine

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April 2022 Editor’s Letter

@1heather_marie

As I plan each monthly letter, it is always interesting where inspiration tends to strike. This month, I have experienced many moments of misdirection, uncertainty, and then clarity. Which seems fitting considering April comes from the Latin word, aperio, which translates “open up (bud),” because plants really begin to grow now. From the first month of the year to now, our established goals really begin to take form and by this point, begin to bloom. But that does not mean there are not times of wariness and indecision. And I am finding more and more, that that is okay. 

Life works in mysterious ways and even in the times that we do not understand why a certain desire or dream does not come to fruition, that does not mean that it is not because something better is meant for us. Embracing the uncertainty and the misdirection is just as important as not giving up. Interviewing as many success stories as I have has proven just that, if you want something enough and continue to work for it, one way or another, it will happen. It is not always easy, but I am even learning myself, after thirty years, to let go of the fear that comes with feeling lost. And to let go of the shame that I may not be on the same path, in the same time frame, as those around me. Because with the whole-hearted belief that my time will come, I know that it will. It takes a real effort to master and believe in blind faith. But it has become as important to me as unapologetic self-care. 

Reframing your perspective is a powerful move and it all comes down to shifting your way of thinking. The next time you experience disappointment or a notion of failure, choose to first focus on the upside of the path that you are on. Seek solace in the positive recurrences in your life and adapt to the mindset that “failure” is not the end of the road and that the sense of being lost that you are feeling is not permanent. Quite the opposite. This could be opening the door for the opportunity of a lifetime, all the while, leading you to exactly where you always wanted to be. No path is the same and your journey is yours alone. It owes nothing to anyone and building that trust is one of the biggest feats out there. So embrace the journey, embrace the trials, adapt to the misdirection, and most importantly, believe.