And Ego says, ‘Go get serious and write about the meaning of life. Sit in the library until you’re done.’

And Spirit says, ‘What will you find there? Go somewhere that inspires you to live.’

I followed her call to the beach.
I’ve always been able to hear her more clearly there.
The same beach I’d retreat to for solitude after I first became a mom.
The beach that took me lifetimes to find.

I sat on the sand made of millions of grains of crystals.
I thought to myself what each person might say if I were to ask them, ‘What is the meaning of life?’
The little boy holding his swimming fins, the little girl in a yellow dress making a sandcastle, the woman relaxing in a lawn chair soaking up the sun, the girls laughing and playing music, the kids learning to surf, the ones teaching them.

To explore. To create. To be present. To connect. To learn. To have fun.

‘What are all of these things?’, I thought.
Expressions of spirit.
Manifestations of our essence.

Dive as deep as you can.
Don’t just be a visitor.
Be in your life as much as you can, with as much depth and truth and presence and here-ness as you can, in every moment that you can.
Follow the dreams that are in your soul.
Without pause for judgment, or comparison, or doubt.
Without worry if it’s right or wrong.
No holding back. No shame. No fear.
Unleashed.
Untamed.

Joy.
Love.
Truth.
Gratitude.
Contentment.
Follow your passion.
Help others.
See it all as a miracle.
Fall in love with life.

Realize our interconnectedness.
Believe in your worth as a unique part of the whole.
Stay in your truth.
Share your magic.
Be open to receive the gifts of others.
Help each other shine as bright as we can.
It helps us all find deeper meaning.
It lights up the world.

Say yes to the adventure.
Be in the full spectrum of your life.

Your wildness.
Your tenderness.
Your strength.
Your vulnerability.

Let your spirit fly.

And Ego says, ‘Yes, but what’s the meaning?’

And Spirit says, ‘To be.’

***

~Carly Mentlik, (MA, LPCC) is a licensed holistic psychotherapist, children’s development expert, and intuitive guide for spiritual parents and entrepreneurs. She is also the founder of the  Inner Rainbow Project, a hub for children’s mental health and wellbeing that uses an innovative fusion of education and psychology along with chakras and yoga to introduce spirituality to kids. Carly has a Bachelors in special education, Masters in counseling and has completed PhD work in feminist developmental psychology at New York University; and over the past (nearly) two decades, she has been blessed to work with children from all ages and across all kinds of learning needs, personalities and cultures.  As the creator of the curriculum Camp Chakra Kids (debuting its newest version this Fall for families and entrepreneurs,) Carly has already provided a spiritual toolkit to over 1000 kids and  envisions a world where every child grows up feeling connected to their inner spirit. She is certified in yoga and Reiki and her newest project, the kids-centric podcast, Chakra Talk, is out now.   

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Photo: Bobby Quillard