Photo credit: Melissa Maillett Photography
I recently returned from an eight-day trip to Berlin, a city that shaped me when I lived and worked there for a year in the mid-1980s. It was an unusual travel choice for me at this stage of my life, since my family’s preference for nature destinations normally takes precedence in our explorations.
Also, for the past 30 years, the bulk of my travel has been with my husband and/or our kids, unless I’m headed to a silent meditation retreat. Between work, elder care, and volunteer activities, trips with girlfriends were crowded out.
So accepting Marcia’s invitation to join her in Berlin for a few days required a couple of days of consideration. But when your friend of close to four decades calls and says, “When I was meditating, this idea bubbled up to ask if you’d come to Berlin with me,” it feels like a nudge from the universe.
Still, the autopilot responses in my head when she asked me were,
Impossible.
Too busy.
People need me at home.
This is too much money to spend on just myself.
Dusty Old Cassette Tapes
I took an honest look at each of those thoughts and recognized the old patterns. Maybe they were true at one point in my life, but when I checked in more closely, I realized they weren’t true right now.
Then I tuned in to how the opportunity felt in my body. While reflecting on the invitation, my body felt light and tingly, sparking a sense of curiosity, inspiration, and even playfulness.
Still, it was as if I couldn’t believe the memo I was reading, because it conflicted so drastically with the old stories playing in my head (those outdated cassette tapes).
I gave this reflection process a couple more days, checking in with my body ever more deeply during my morning meditation time. I dropped in the question at other times, too, like when I was in the shower–another place where the volume of my thinking brain quiets enough to allow wisdom nuggets to bubble to the surface.
Flexing My Mental Fitness Muscles
As the final test, I pulled out my favorite PQ® Mental Fitness tool. I activated my Navigate power by envisioning my Wiser Elder Self at the end of my life looking back, healthy of mind and body. Standing before her, I asked, “Do you think I should go?”
“Hell yes!” was her immediate and unequivocal answer.
So I went. And it was wonderful. I will be writing more about the trip itself in the coming weeks.
Today, though, I wanted to offer this example of how having a dedicated, daily stillness practice allows us to observe our thinking habits and, with blameless discernment, recognize the thoughts that don’t serve us…
~ the thoughts that try to keep us safe, but keep us living small;
~ the thoughts that stand in the way of expansive experiences;
~ the thoughts that keep us from showing up as our most joyful, empowered, fulfilled selves.
And I didn’t even talk about the whispered inspiration that Marcia’s meditation sparked at the start of this story! My own life was enriched by Marcia’s practice, which is yet another example of why I consider mindfulness practice (or stillness practice, or presence practice) to be a form of community service. Thank you, Marcia!
Invitation To Join Our Circle of Morning Meditators on May 11, 2026
If you feel you would benefit from a daily practice that cultivates space for confident decision making and inspired action, my next 30-Day Mindfulness Meditation Challenge might be a good fit for you.
We reconvene our circle on Monday, May 11, at 7:00 am ET. All skill levels are welcome.
To learn more, read testimonials, and register visit https://damselwings.com/morning-meditation-programs/
