Walking Through the Fire: Embracing Change and Navigating Disappointment
The summer sun is high, and the world is bursting with activity. Invitations, events, opportunities — they come in like waves, asking us to stay in motion. And yet, even amidst the brightness, life has a way of asking us to pause.
This past week, I was reminded again how deeply intertwined change and disappointment can be. I had been preparing for our She Explores retreat with full heart — a sacred container for healing, sisterhood, and fire-inspired transformation. And the day before our journey, wildfires shifted the course. Smoke moved through the area, and in the language of nature, I heard the message clearly:
Pause. Breathe. Re-root.
I won’t pretend it didn’t hurt. When plans fall apart — especially those we’ve poured our hearts into — it stirs grief, confusion, and loss. It can feel like failure, like the universe is turning away. But if we listen deeper, these disruptions are invitations. Not to give up, but to walk through the fire of feeling and emerge more rooted than before.
The Theme Was Fire — and Then It Came
The synchronicity wasn’t lost on me. The theme of this retreat was Fire — not just the physical flame, but the inner spark that fuels our transformation. Fire burns away the old, the outdated, the no-longer-true. It reveals what we’re ready to let go of and lights the path forward.
And then, the literal fire came. Nature mirrored the very element we were meant to work with. Not in the way I had imagined, but in the way that required full presence. A call to meet the moment exactly as it is. A reminder that the work we do with fire — releasing, transmuting, renewing — is not always comfortable, but it is always sacred.
Walking Through Disappointment with Presence
I’ve cried. I’ve questioned. I’ve let myself feel the ache of change. And from that tender space, I’ve returned to the truth:
Disappointment is not the end — it’s the threshold.
A doorway we pass through, barefoot and honest, into new possibilities.
When life doesn’t go as planned, it asks us to tend to our hearts with deeper care. To not bypass the hurt but to companion it. To ask ourselves:
What am I really grieving here?
What parts of me are being asked to grow?
What does my inner flame need now to stay alive?
A Ritual for Tending the Inner Flame
If you, too, are navigating change — whether soft or shattering — I offer this simple ritual for tending your inner fire:
1. Light a candle — let this represent your spirit.
2. Sit in stillness and place your hands on your heart. Breathe.
3. Ask yourself:
– What part of me is flickering or dim right now?
– What does my fire need to be nourished — more space, more rest, more truth?
4. Write down one thing you’re ready to release, and one intention for how you want to move forward.
5. Burn or bury the release. Speak your intention aloud.
Let this practice be an offering to yourself. A way to remind your soul that even in disappointment, you are still connected — to spirit, to purpose, to the ever-changing cycles of life.
Change is not the enemy. Disappointment is not failure. Both are teachers — ancient and fierce — showing us how to root deeper into trust, clarity, and alignment.
Thank you for walking with me on this path. May we continue to meet each shift with grace and remember that even when the path changes, our fire still burns.
With love and flame: