Clouds Over Ancash

The usually blue skies over the cordillera blanca are not so blue these days. Ancash is Quechua for the color blue, a fitting name to a place with snow capped peaks and blue blue sky. The mountains, however can't ever be completely hidden, and they share their splendor through the fog and rain. It's true that winter, whether in the northern hemisphere or southern (here the rainy season is considered "winter" although it really is summer) is a time for reflection. More time indoors, cold weather, and the use of fuzzy socks get you thinking. There's a lot of pain and suffering in the world right now. What can we say to ourselves in order to stay grounded and positive? It's a tough question.

I think that we have an opportunity to look at ourselves in these tough times and really ask, what are we here for? What are we meant to contribute. With so much uncertainty I would say that it is not time to short change ourselves or mute our true calling. Inside each of us we have an intuitive voice that knows whether or not we are putting our energy in the right place, time to listen! For a young person this is a good time to figure out what makes me really happy. Better to start early than go through all that mid-life crisis chaos.

So, step by step, time to put aside what I "should" do, what's expected, and take some breaths to find that which makes me say, "yeah, this is me."