The Joker
The day before I took followed through with an action that would change the course of the rest of my life, I found this card amongst my belongings in my brand new room in Tonsberg, Norway. Where it came from or how it ended up with me in that moment, I have no idea. Maybe the divine.
The Joker.
In my wallet that Joker card went, as a reminder that nothing in life has to be all that heavy, and not to take life too seriously. We were not put here to suffer and be miserable, we were put here to live, to thrive. At the end of the day day, we all will be born, and we all will die—so why not enjoy the ride?
I pull this card when I need it, with the knowledge that it is always there, whether I can hear its voice speaking (or screaming) to me or not. It has traveled to many places with me physically, emotionally, emotionally, and spiritually. Physically, we’ve had a longstanding relationship in Norway, where we will pick up once more in several weeks’ time. For now, the Joker and I are deeply committed to one another in a land that is sacred and holy to me for many reasons.
Here in Israel, it is easy to be light and free. This is something I noticed about the culture when I visited years ago. Instantly I fell in love. I fell in love with ME, perhaps more than I ever had previously. This was my first real introduction to memorable, active self love just six short years ago.
So here we are again, back in this beautiful and loving land of my ancestors, where the Joker sits right on top of the deck, ready for the draw. It is easy to be myself here, to feel so at home in my heart. Here, I feel liberation. I feel freedom. I feel light. I am light.
In my first several days here, I have connected deeply with all kinds of people. For starters, I have connected with warm, welcoming, and loving family I didn’t even.know that I had until a meager several weeks ago. You know it is love when they ensure that you are fed and stuffed with amazing home cooked meals. If I had a shekel for every tie I was asked “you hungry?” paired with a look of concern as if I had been starved for months. [I can assure you, I have not been.]
Ive met native Israelis who speak better French than English, which has allowed for my “inner Aba” to surface, giving the opportunity to brush the dust off of French. Ce nest pas trop mal!
I have met an amazing woman from Cleveland, Ohio who synchronistically moved to Israel after a break up of her own in pursuit of greater depths of herself. Our meeting on my second day was equally as synchronistic, at a new favorite of mine here in Tel Aviv called Urban Shaman, no less. (Uhhh, thank you, Universe)
I’ve met East Coasters, Australians, South Africans, Londoners, and more who have made the move to Israel, simply because it felt like home. They’ve invited me into their homes for dinner after knowing me for an instant (a nice, warm Jewish welcome). These people didn’t exist as strangers after the first several moments, a they instantly turned into family, people that I had “known” for years.
I’ve connected with new friends in a hostel after making a joke, fortunately to people who could take it. We ended up spending hours together as a foursome, with an Aussie, a Londoner, a guy from Seattle who now teaches special ed after years of trying to uncover his true purpose in life, and myself. We had a time. We conversed, we educated one another, we listened. We brought our perspective of life forth, for it to be received in total acceptance and love.
I am only several days in on this month long solo trip, however I know that my Joker card has stayed right on my hip this entire time. Had I chosen to take things so seriously, this courage and freedom and authenticity would not have arisen the way it has over the last several days. It has guided me into exactly what I have needed to this trip to be; a combination of exploration, recuperation, connection, creativity, and fulfillment.
While I have met and collided with amazing humans in this high vibrational field, I have also spent more time solo than at any other point in my life: in a “foreign” country. For anyone else considering a trip of this nature, lean in — you will learn so much, if you simply give yourself the chance.
So from one Joker to another — Lighten Up. It is supposed to be fun. You are supposed to laugh, to feel brave, to feel silly, even to feel afraid or to feel sad or uncertain. But it is how we choose to move through these sentiments. My unsolicited advice? L E A N I N .
The leaning in is not always. easy, especially in the face of the chronic unknown. But how much do we ver really know? The truth is that we severally know what tomorrow or next week will bring. I choose on this trip and moving forward to embrace that, as I can guarantee that I am not wiser and smarter than the universe when it comes to the unfolding of my path. The Joker and I are staying wide open to an innately guided path — keeping it light keeping it free, keeping it authentic.
