One of my most pivotal moments came when my son was sixteen and the girls were eight. I was three years post-divorce, and life was filled with challenges (the memories alone exhaust me). My mind was almost never settled—it was constantly filled with financial worries, relationship struggles (that “soulmate” who turned out to be a lesson, lol) and the multitudes of everyday distractions that come with parenting.

Life was BANANAS. I juggled school drop-offs, brown bag lunch prep, and bedtime stories while trying to provide emotional support and guidance to the kidlets. I was working remotely, but seriously needed more cash flow. My desire to give my kids a comfortable life weighed heavily on my mind.

Work/life balance? This concept felt like an elusive dream.

During one typically hectic morning, with a jillion thoughts swirling, in one split-second, it all blew up.

The twins and I were heading home from the high school, driving down a residential street, when we crashed. I saw it coming, but had no time or road space to avoid it. Even though it was a low-speed collision, my instinct to brace for impact by clutching the steering wheel caused my body to twist at the waist, resulting in a ruptured disc in my low spine.

In that moment, I heard Spirit whisper shout “STOP!” Not as in “stop the car.” I knew exactly what it meant. This pace, this course I was on, needed radical change or I would wear myself down to the point where I was useless to my family.

In the aftermath of the accident I learned so much more about adaptability than I thought I already knew. All my life I’d taken pride in being a Brightsider (my self-declared nickname), naturally leaning toward the light even in the most difficult times. But this? This event forced me into stillness, in every sense of the word. The future was foggy and unknown. It always is, but this was different. It was a frightening time for me.

And yet, as I rehabbed my body and mind, Spirit held me.

As devastating as it was, the accident eventually proved to be beneficial. I do believe that by accepting the good, the bad and every damn thing that happens, we do end up where we’re supposed to be. Back then, I needed the chance to catch my breath and redirect the path I’d been sprinting down.

It was during this period when I held my first oracle deck. Some years later, Grounded Dreamers was born. And so it is.

Now, my work/life balance is more solid. And because I learned to regularly embrace stillness, I have gained strength in vulnerability, wisdom in reflection, and resilience in adaptation.

The Soul Guidance reading this week provides us with some guidance to follow amid chaos: change, grace and stability. I hope you enjoy it!

Get into it here!