I'm imagining Mara on her way to California, off for 10 days to begin her PhD program. Mara told me that a new path is unfolding. She didn't say that it was magically unfolding, but based on the way her eyes sparkled and the way she with talked with such passion about gaining skills in Social Artistry, it seems that the word magically certainly could apply.

Mara told me that this will be the first time that she will be in school when she isn't also caring for young children. She laughed and said, "It's kind of like a gap year. Almost no responsibilities." Then we laughed together, because she is entering into a full time PhD program while also starting a new business venture. She explained that her husband informed her that she kind of missed the point of a gap year. I laughed because I went to grad school in my "gap year."

I loved hearing Mara talk about the process of her life unfolding. With confidence, she explained that she knows that she will be doing something new. Sometimes she wants to rush to identify what it is, and in doing so she almost reverts back to what she has already done before. Then she remembers that this new phase is exactly that, new. She settles into the place of the unknown and takes refuge there. 

That's a special quality. Being at peace with the unknown and trusting the process are aspects of Mara that I find deeply admirable. It's hard for me when I don't know what comes next. I want to know, and I want to get there now. I'm ready, I'm excited, and I don't want to wait. Mara, on the other hand, took a deep slow breath and decided to savor the discovery process.  

Our session was on December 26th. I am telling you this because it is usually cold and snowy in Michigan at the end of December. But on the day we met for her head shot session, it was exceptionally calm and warm (in the 50s!).   

We went outside to photograph. I wasn't wearing a jacket (just to be a rebel), and I could feel the sun warm back. As soon as Mara sat down and settled in, a gentle breeze blew through her hair. It felt like the wind was greeting her and letting her know that exploring the unknown was exactly the right thing to do next.

I, on the other hand, went home and turned to Martha Beck, a fabulous author that has a lot to share on the unfolding process. I read about some of her favorite strategies for forcing innovation. I have some of my own unfolding going on, and I have already told you that waiting doesn't come easy for me.

At first I wondered if I should be more like Mara and make friends with the unknown. It took very little self inquiry to realize that of course I should!  Making friends with this place is a lifelong friendship that I will carry with me everywhere I go. 

Then I had a second realization. I could also be true to my own experience. I could listen to the sun warming my back. It felt more like encouraging me to keep walking forward and less like the call to sit quietly and listen.  

There isn't a prescribed way to meet the unknown. I can ask myself how I want this relationship to look. Probably the hardest (or at least the most draining) way to face the unknown is to push it away, pretend it isn't there, or mentally fill in all the blanks. As long as I am willing to face the unknown, I can run circles around it, jump rope over it, or rock climb through it. I can also silently face it. There isn't a single right answer.  How I sit with the unknown is up to me (and up to you too).   

I don't know what's next. I have some thoughts forming, but I am waiting to see what pulls at my spirit. Until I know what the next steps are, I will walk (and sometimes skip) along side of the unknown patiently listening for answers but more often then not trying out those tricks that force innovation.  All it takes is a spark.  ;)

Mara, thank you for sharing your light with me. I am excited to see all that this new year brings.  Many blessings on your journey. It has been a pleasure getting to know you.