Something magical is afoot.

Something magical is afoot. There is a current in the air that signals an energetic shift: a change in the status quo which invites us to show up differently and to be more grounded in our power. No more hiding behind polite words and insincere smiles. No more going along to get along. No more pretending. Now is the time to get clear on what you want and take steps to make it happen. 

Does this invitation frighten you or excite you? Maybe a little of both? Me too.
Change is frightening because there are so many unknowns. Change asks us to move beyond what is familiar and into uncharted territory. While this shift expands our horizons and challenges us to grow in ways that we could not have predicted, it also can trigger memories in which we felt foolish, stupid, or worse, ashamed. Uncertainty often raises questions such as:

• What if I don’t like it?
• What if I look stupid or incompetent? 
• What if I fail?
• What happens if I disappoint someone whose opinion matters to me?
• What if I can’t go back to the way things were?
• What if I get hurt or hurt someone else?
• What might I lose if I change?

All of the above questions are valid concerns and have definitely dissuaded me from making a change. And yet, I have, and I imagine that you have too, made both minor and major life changes. Think back to one of those moments where you willingly stepped into the unknown and intentionally did something that you had never done before. What made you do it? 

When I reflect on such a moment, I am aware that I often feel one or more of the following:

• Complacency: Things seem ho-hum. Often I feel like I am going through the motions. There is no challenge. Nothing stimulates my interest. I am bored. 
• Stuck: My wheels are constantly spinning but I am going nowhere. I try to get unstuck but previous solutions aren’t working. 
• Dissatisfied: The outcomes are unfulfilling, or worse, meaningless. It feels like either checking a box or putting a bandaid on a gaping wound. 
• Anger: I perceive an injustice, typically toward a vulnerable person, and I want to address it. Often the need to do something feels unavoidable. 

Conversely, once I have made the decision to try something new, I feel enlivened. Sometimes this feeling frightens me but mostly it excites me. I become more risk tolerant. My previous fears, reflected in the questions associated with uncertainty, move into the background and are replaced by the fear of missing out on an opportunity. 

This feeling of enlivenment is the magic that is afoot now. You, me, all of us have an opportunity to tap into the energetic shift and to reimagine the world in which we live and how we choose to show up in it. 

We are in the seed formation stage: a time to set intentions and initiate action. Last week, during the Shakti Support Council meeting, we not only confirmed upcoming events, we also spoke about the vision that we have for Shakti’s future. We imagined acting from a place where this future already existed and sat with questions such as:

• How would we feel if we were living in the future that we imagined?
• What would we be doing differently? The same?
• What outcomes do we want to experience?

I invite you to do the same. Begin by noticing: 

• Your relationship with uncertainty
• What motivates you to take risks and make changes
• The vision you are moving toward

If you are curious about the future of the Shakti Garden and want to enjoy delicious food, then please join us for Pasta-bilities on August 20. Not only will you be offered homemade pasta and focaccia bread (plus recipes) but you also will learn more about slow living and future Shakti garden plans. 

If you are interested in learning more about the future of Shakti in general, then please know that we are adding more events to the calendar that support our vision as well as developing curricula that support wellness and reciprocity. In other words, stay tuned. There is more to come this fall and next year. 

Wishing everyone a wonderful week!

Love,

Kim

For nearly thirty years, Kim Bushore-Maki has served Appalachia as both a pioneer and champion of holistic well-being and community health. 

A licensed clinical counseling professional, she became the first Master level clinician at East Tennessee State University's Counseling Center, where she provided therapeutic services and directed the Sexual Violence Prevention Program and the Alcohol and Drug Prevention Program.

During her tenure at ETSU, she was a founding organizer of the Tennessee Coalition for Healthy and Safe Campus Communities as well as Tennessee's representative for the National Prevention Network. She drafted ETSU's first Sexual Violence Response Policy and coordinated the region's first "Take Back the Night" program and fundraiser (the oldest worldwide movement to stand against sexual violence in all forms), the proceeds of which funded the first SANE nurses at the Johnson City Medical Center. Kim also served as Interim Director of Disability Services for 11 months.

In 2010, Kim followed her intuition and vision to found Shakti in the Mountains, a thriving healing-arts center that draws on somatic expressive therapy, archetypal psychology, wisdom traditions, and regenerative economics. Kim continues to maintain a small private therapy practice and also leads healing programs and retreats, guides the Shakti Stewardship Program, and serves as a community-building consultant to justice-oriented initiatives committed to building safe, inclusive, vibrant, and resilient communities.  ​

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