I love New Year’s Eve more than any other day of the year. I am always filled with gratitude for what has come to pass and in awe of the grand sense of possibility that the New Year brings. That is how I usually feel.
I had a whole plan to send you a love note for New Year’s Day about creative possibility. I was going to thank you for another great year and give you an idea of what we have in store for you in 2014.
And then…
I had a wretched New Year’s Eve.
I won’t go into the specifics but let’s just say, this year, a life lesson came a knockin’, as they tend to do.
I was crushed. “This is not the way I wanted this to happen. I can’t feel like this for the New Moon/New Year I’ve been so excited to celebrate all year! Can we push back the timing on this?” (and so on).
Somehow in the midst of my disappointment, I could hear the voice of my inner guidance, the wild within, she spoke: It’s all perfect, it’s all perfect. And it was. It is. Growth is not always pretty.
I had to fight my desire to be a shining example of optimism and actually be all of myself: a woman just trying to practice, sometimes reaching great heights and other times falling down, scraping my knees.
On January 1st the The WILD Woman Project quietly turned 2 years old.
Even though this is not the elaborate love letter I had planned, there is still an accidental message here about creative possibilities: You can always create. Even when things are imperfect and you feel off, you can still be of service, you can still make.
This project of ours is the perfect example. 3 years ago it didn’t even exist, not even as a thought. And then 2 years ago it did, with a handful of people who got on board to make it happen: to start a circle in their community, contribute posts, to help raise funds, to sign up for the 365 day challenge, to supply encouragement and ideas.
Despite mistakes and imperfection: from typos-to botched plans-to doubt, it’s all happening.
The Circles are spreading to include cities in every time zone of the US, in multiple territories in Canada and even to Trinidad and Australia. Leaders from Europe and South America are getting excited for Circle Leader Training this Spring. Workshops are filling in NYC and by phone. Our dream of creating a movement of wild wo(men) who believe in authenticity, creativity and community is coming true.
Oh, and we have something BIG cooking for this summer (hint: it is the biggest live event we’ve ever held and it may or may not happen on top of a mountain, wha? Yup.) I will announce that soon enough.
Yeah, I’m still going through some heaviness, pushing up against my comfort zone, stumbling and relearning-this is it, this is what it takes to be true to yourself, to grow…
And somehow, even though I feel like a bit of a mess, life is still happening, creation continues, the path unfolds.
In the name of authenticity I wanted to “out” myself amongst all the light and bright new year’s optimism and share with you the wholeness of my process vs. delivering you shiny exteriors.
From my tender heart to yours:
I wish for your depth, creativity, courage & community in the New Year.
While there may be highs and lows, you can constantly create.
You can constantly do your best (whatever your capacity, from moment to moment).
You can constantly show up, wholeheartedly.
You can constantly be guided from within.
No. Matter. What.
Isn’t that beautiful?
With enormous gratitude and love,
C
P.s-New Yorkers, we didn’t do our WILD Night in 2013 (tear) but keep your eyes peeled for a celebration this Spring:) There will be dancing.
Coming up…
From anywhere, 1 Spot open for January, 3 for February.
A Weekend of Sisterhood, NYC:
This Spring, from Anywhere:
On the Horizon
Join us for an hour-long New Moon Meditation Adventure on December 2nd!
Online, from anywhere.
Using a dynamic meditation journey, we will tune into the New Moon, to your own Inner Guidance, synced up with wild-hearted women from around the world. This offering will include music, storytelling, meditation, journaling prompts & intention-setting.
Can’t make it live? No worries. All participants will receive a copy of the recording with 24 hours of the session.
Join the WILD WOMAN UNDERGROUND.
"The Circle Leader Training Program at The Wild Woman Project was one of the most transformative and healing experiences of my life. I have received many tools, resources, support, and connections that I will carry on with me forever." ~ Hannah Devin, Graduate
We have Wild Woman Project-trained Circle facilitators is 26 countries, and 44 out of the 50 United States.
Chris Maddox is the founder of The Wild Woman Project where she teaches women how to utilize the gifts of the Wild Woman Archetype in their everyday lives & how to lead women’s circles in their local communities. She is the organizer & facilitator of the beloved annual WILD WOMAN FEST, a women’s retreat-festival hybrid which fosters a deep connection to nature, a direct experience of the divine feminine & profound spiritual sisterhood among the women in attendance.
An ever student of the great mysteries of existence and nature itself, Chris believes women are holding innate gifts & tools that society at large needs – now more than ever. She is committed to helping women remember their special magic and to bring it forward into every corner of their lives, for the greater good of the planet.
I have a WordPress blog and what I need is to rotate my blog posts over and over with a preset time interval. And also I’d like to shuffle my posts. Would RSS feeds pick up the rotated blog posts as new ones? Does someone have this PHP code? Thanks.
I want to start to put all my photos up on my camera, and start a blog or something. Where is a good place to do this like a website or something, do i have to copyright them thanks :).
I use a micro SD card between my laptop and netbook as an external hardrive for my class files. I often download files on one computer or the other without the drive in that computer. Is it possible to set my computer up so that when I insert my drive my computer automatically updates the folder on my removable drive with the folder on my computer?.