A gentle invitation to Receive
Photo by Kira Auf Der Heide via Unsplash.
Change is a guarantee in this life.
And that includes change in traditions—especially at this time of year.
Traditions can be beautiful. They can anchor us, bring meaning, and create connection. And…when we cling to them—when we insist life look a certain way—they can also become a quiet source of suffering.
Both trying to hold on to what was and trying to push away what is are forms of resistance.
And when we resist what's here, we suffer.
This year, our holiday season looks radically different than years past.
Vince had surgery (he's ok!), and these weeks will be devoted to his recovery. Because of that, we chose not to decorate, not to host, not to do many of the things that usually mark this season for us. Instead, we listened for what this moment actually needed—and honored that.
What I continue to see, again and again, is this:
The more willing we are to receive and respond to what life brings—with an open heart—the more we plug into grace. Life doesn't necessarily get easier on the surface, but our relationship with it softens. And that changes everything.
Welcoming what life brings is not an easy lesson.
Most of us have learned to welcome what we like…
and resist what we don't.
Dropping into the space of “I don't know” can be surprisingly liberating.
I don't know why this is happening.
I don't know how it's supposed to go.
And it's here.
From that place, a more honest question can arise:
How do I want to receive this? How do I want to respond?
You might take that inquiry into your holiday season.
It applies to hurtful comments from family.
Travel delays.
Plans falling apart.
The news.
The quiet moments when something feels off and you don't know why.
If you notice resistance showing up—and resistance wears many disguises:
a spinning, problem-solving mind
a dull or heavy feeling about life
shutting down to yourself or others
blame, resentment, or quiet judgment
what would it be like to receive the experience as it is?
To pause the story for just a moment…
and notice what's here underneath it.
The energy.
The sensations.
The feeling tone of direct experience.
When you practice sensing in this way, you begin to reawaken a different language—the language of your nervous system.
And that, my friend, is a potent language.
It's the language that fuels thought.
And the quality of our thinking is what determines the quality of our experience of life.
We often believe we need to change our thoughts to feel better. Most of us have tried. And while it can help temporarily, it doesn't tend to create lasting change.
If you want to meet the root of your experience, it lives deeper—in the body, in sensation, in the nervous system itself. And the only way to understand that language is to slow down and notice.
That noticing invites us back into an ancient wisdom—one we once knew well, and have been conditioned away from.
When we reawaken to it, life often becomes simpler.
And in a world that feels more complex every day, simple can be a real gift.
A Year-End Gift for You
If you find yourself with a little more space over the coming weeks—and feel curious to explore further—I'd love to offer you a gift.
Below are the three Guest Faculty conversations from The School for Humaning Well. Each one opens a different doorway into understanding your experience more deeply:
⟶ Dr. Amy Johnson: Mind
A gentle, grounding exploration of imagination vs. reality, and how freedom arises when we stop believing every thought.
⟶ Kendra Cover: Body
A deeply embodied conversation about nervous system wisdom, safety, and learning to stay present with what's alive in us.
⟶ Rohini Ross: Heart
A compassionate exploration of being with life as it is—and how emotional openness becomes a portal to freedom.
You don't need to watch them all.
You don't need to “do” anything with them.
Let yourself be drawn to what resonates—and trust that.
As we close out this year, my hope for you is simple:
That you allow this season to be what it is.
That you meet yourself with a little more kindness than usual.
And that you remember—you don't have to figure life out to live it well.
Thank you for being part of this community. It means more to me than I can easily put into words.
With loving,
Amber
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