Are you living with the full of the juiciness of engagement in life – including the ‘messiness’ that sometimes accompanies dealing with that kind of juice?! Or have you pulled back in an attempt to create calm and certainty in the midst of the change and apparent chaos in our world?

Last weekend, Bruce and I visited a model railway show. Though this isn’t something I know much about, it was interesting to see the many different types of worlds created by these people for whom this is clearly a passion. The most fun part for me was watching the kids as they entered this magical world – especially those that got to go on the kiddie-sized railcar ride that was set up. (I’d have joined them in a heartbeat if I’d been allowed!)

I was struck by the difference between the energy of those kids on the ride and the rest of us watching.

Freedom – Image courtesy of graur razvan ionut  FreeDigitalPhotos.net

They were fully engaged! They wanted to go fast, so they were furiously pumping their arms back and forth, focused on their intention, and exhilarated by the results! They were definitely doing their part … AND … the guy running the ride had a pole which he used from time to time to give them an extra boost of speed – evoking even more squeals of excitement!

Those of us who were watching certainly had the pleasure of seeing these kids so engaged, but I was struck by the difference between us (with our virtual enjoyment) and them (so pumped with the juicy aliveness of full engagement.)

I’ve been reflecting on the ways I’ve at times chosen to keep myself on the sidelines of life – observing from a ‘safe’ distance – and seeing others experiencing the joy and juice of full engagement.

I know that for me, the choice to not step fully into life has had a number of triggers, most of them based in fear – fear of what others might do or say if I did make that choice, fear that I don’t know ‘how’ or I don’t know the ‘rules’, fear of losing the ‘image’ I or others have of me, fear of the judgements I’ve made of others who’ve risked making different choices than I have, fear of the consequences of making a ‘wrong’ choice.

I’ve known the consequences of living a contained life – of feeling that I’m living on the sidelines and watching, with the ache (and sometimes self-judgment) of having a deep desire to live differently, longing to feel the juice of full engagement, and to make a difference in our world, and still not engaging.

Over the years I’ve come to see this deep desire for experiencing more of the juice of life through standing for, creating and contributing to life more of what I’m passionate about, as a treasure worth the risk of exploring.

I continue on that journey (I think it’s one we’re all on as long as we’re alive!), and in 2014, I’m standing in my intention to ever more fully express and experience myself as:

A woman who, sourced in, surrounded and supported by the Sea of Love, is a powerful, wild presence, full of grace.

Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono  FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I’m curious as to where you’re at as we come to the end of the first month of 2014? How are your relationships with yourself, others, and life unfolding? Are you finding yourself feeling free and fully engaged, enjoying all the juiciness life has to offer? Or might you be recognizing now as time for a change?

This is NOT a journey we can take in isolation. We, in this community, are part of the Sea of Love that surrounds each of us. Over the last year I’ve been sharing with you in these eNews articles, some of the discoveries I’ve made of Relationship Treasures: Hidden in Plain Sight.

These, along with the principles and practices associated with them, have now also come into form in the 6 session teleprogram. There’s something very powerful about walking through and discovering the treasures embedded in the various ideas:

• What if there was No Make Wrong?
• What if there were No Mistakes in Life?
• What if we Risked Standing for Our Deep Needs and Desires – even if that meant being Controversial?
• What if we Embodied Respectful Acceptance of Difference?
• What if our Deep Desires Were Life’s Invitations to us to Full Engagement?

So I’m wondering what all this triggers for you? Are you aware of a sense of the dissatisfaction or discomfort of containment in your life? Can you feel the draw to more full engagement?

If you’re reading this and are finding yourself drawn to explore with us, being in touch is simple. Just click on the Contact button at the top of this page and let me know your interest or question. I’ll get back to you quickly.

Another option that’s always open is to join us on the 2nd or 4th Tuesday of each month for our regular, no cost At Home with Maralyn & Friends call where we explore this our growing edges, questions, challenges, or celebrations we’re experiencing in our engagement with life. This choice comes with the added bonus of getting a taste of a live call with me!

When it feels true for you, I’d love to support your commitment to more full engagement and accessing more of the juice of life!