A few weeks ago, I met up a social worker in her 40s in Portland who worked with at-risk youth. She was interested in writing a book.

We talked about the writing process and she told me a bit about her work with addicted teens. 

“I admire that you’re able to do that kind of work. I’ve tried, and it emotionally overwhelms me,” I told her.

“Oh no, you could do it. You just have to know how,” she said, and then gave me a half hour of information on how I might enter her field.

I found that this conversation stayed with me for weeks. She could’ve asked more about me and what does feed my fire, and listen. But she chose to try to “help” me be like her. From this, and other things she said, I realized she was still in the old-world one-size-fits-all mindset. (I’m on a quest to get out into the world more, and create a bridge between my metaphysical life and the normal world .I’m learning that even far left liberals still harbor old mindsets. It’s an eye-opener for me.)

Before I had my spiritual opening about 30 years ago now (it was like being flayed alive but that’s a different story for another time), when I was a journalist, I believed what this social worker believed, too. That I could just teach pretty much anyone to be a journalist and fit into the journalism system. 

But a weird and wild thing happened with my spiritual awakening. My eyes were opened to the true extent of the miracle of our individual diversity. Each of of us is lush and feral, mad and colorful and eccentric, and in such different ways from each other. 

On one level, I know we all know this, right? We know we’re each unique. But do we really? Don’t we still look at someone and think, “They should get a job/relationship/life like mine and they’d be happy.”? Don’t we look at someone’s posts on FB and think, “I wish I was like them.”?

I promise you the only thing your soul wishes is to be the full expression of itself. If you did get what the other person has it wouldn’t bring happiness, just more “wanting”.

The level of the eccentricity of the human soul was made profoundly evident to me when I first started reading tarot. I’d been a journalist in London, and the spiritual opening sent me spiraling down, so far down, that I ended up at a rickety table in a bookstore back home me in America reading tarot cards for strangers. At the time, it felt like a fall from grace, but the truth is it was a fall INTO grace. 

What I saw (and I write about this in my most recent novel WATER), in every person who sat across from me was the true meaning of the word diversity. Dog walker, CEO, Microsoft techie, housewife — a stream of some of the most dimensional souls sat across from in that tiny room in Fremont. Often they were depressed and didn’t know why. I could see the glory of their beings. It was trying to fit into what they were supposed to be doing that was killing them.

What I learned was that each of us needs nurturing around our very specific brilliance. Nothing standardized can work…it needs to be honed intimately to the individual’s creative mind. That nurturing can help the wildflower soul blossom. What we’ve gotten in the old world order are standardized learning and standardized tests and standardized jobs. The soul cries out for it’s particular food, its unique nurturing. When we mention diversity these days, I think, “Yes, we need inclusivity of races and genders and sexual preferences, but diversity goes so much deeper than that.”

My book coaching business is based on what I learned about the diversity of the soul. I say, “I can see your voice, and I can help you water it, and I can validate that it’s dark and wild and other-worldly and deserves to be heard.” In fact, I passionately believe, it is this very untamed beauty that can shift the energies and transform our world.

Let your freak flag fly. The universe is calling you home.

Have a book you want to write? If you’d like to discuss book coaching, contact me by replying to this email and we’ll set up a free Zoom chat.