Something magical has been unfolding for me these past few weeks. It’s been subtle and soft, a butterfly flapping its wings, but powerful enough to get my attention even amid the flurry of opening my Etsy store, balancing two classes, working on my NaNoWriMo novel, navigating an emotionally charged transition in my family, and oh yeah, the rest of life.

Fortunately, this kind of spiritual butterfly is persistent.

My NaNoWriMo novel has helped bring the butterfly to life. For those who don’t know, my novel is a fun story, a quirky romp about a spoiled politician’s daughter, two naïve cowboys and an extinct bird on a road trip from God. I originally wrote the story as a screenplay years ago, and I’ve slowly been turning it into a novel. I vowed that I’d finish that transition this November, with an eye to editing and finishing the book next year.

One of the blessings of NaNoWriMo is that you’re encouraged to let loose and write. The voice that’s come out in this novel has been surprising and sooooo much fun to write. I’ve embraced the craziness of it and find I can finish four straight hours of writing feeling exhilarated, creatively supercharged and not the least bit tired.

Which led me to the question: why haven’t I been letting this wildly creative part of me come out and play more often?

With this on my mind, I opened an email from the talented Samantha Bennett that talked about her new class, one that would help me both embrace and explore my uniqueness, my weirdness, and profit from it at the same time. Of course I jumped at that.

Thank you, Sam. Thank you, divine timing.

I love the power of questions, which is fortunate since my nonphysical team loves to drop BIG questions on me. “What If?” is one of their favorites. Years ago, a few months after discovering a powerful meditation/creation technique, they asked me: What would happen if you fully embraced this technique in your life? That led to huge leaps in my spiritual growth, positive changes in every area of my life, plus the writing of my nonfiction book and the class I’ll start teaching soon about this technique and the magic it helps you create.

Now, my team is asking me a new question: What would happen if you went all in on YOU, on your uniqueness, on your creative superpowers, on your wonderfully wise weirdness?

In case you don’t know, going all in is a poker term. It means betting all your chips. Taking the biggest gamble, committing it all, no holding back. If that doesn’t sound particularly spiritual, just know that my team is lighthearted and quite funny at times, and going all in on yourself is one of the most spiritual things you can do.

Seriously, it has the power to change everything. 

That my butterfly appeared and my team asked their big question now isn’t all that surprising. This week I move from one year of life to the next. Around my birthday I’ve always taken time to look with gratitude at all that emerged in the previous year and dream about what I’d love to experience in the year to come.

This year, as my birthday gift to myself, I’m giving myself an at-home retreat week–time to meditate, play, draw, journal, etc. I’ll explore the big questions. How can I go all in on myself?  How can I create from my most inspired, most creative, most wild and weird and wise self? What fun, creative, inspired and inspiring things can I bring into the world?

I share the question my team posed because it may be that your own butterfly is fluttering its wings nearby. Maybe your team is whispering a similar question in your ear.

What would happen if you went all in on YOU? Fully embraced yourself–the bigger you, the infinitely creative, wise, talented, powerful, eternal and endless you? What wonders could you experience and create?

Play with and ponder that. If I can do it, so can you! 

I’ll let you know where my week of exploration takes me.

Weirdly, Wildly Yours,

Barbara