I always give a new hardback book a good, strong crack before I start reading. I open it as close to the middle as possible and pull the covers down until I hear and feel the spine give just a little. With that, the book is loosened enough to stay open without the pages fighting against me as I read.

At my first-ever yoga class a few days ago, I was a new hardback book.

With every unfamiliar stretch and sweat-inducing contortionist pose, I figuratively—thankfully!—cracked myself open, loosening the proverbial pages so they’re ready to turn.

The physicality aligns with my current intentionality: BE OPEN.

Following yoga class #1, I recalled a sentence from a passage dancer Martha Graham wrote in a letter to another talented artist. Amidst Graham’s pleading for creators to take action and bring forth their expressions, she implores “Keep the channel open.”

Then, just last evening, I read something in a Martha Beck book that stood out to me as poetically and purposefully on theme. “…You’ll never be hurt as much by being open as you have been hurt by remaining closed.”

Be open.

What does it mean to be open? How can we be open? What can come of being open?

I think back to the early 2000s when I finally admitted I wanted to try songwriting. I live in the city known as the songwriting capital of the world; professional songwriters make up a decent percent of the population around here. But I jumped in the scene. I wrote voraciously. I networked to get demos recorded. I auditioned to play the writer’s night at the most renowned songwriting venue in town.

It was exhilarating. It was fun. It was hopeful. It was humbling. It was competitive. It was vulnerable.

And I was open to all of it.

Most importantly, I was open to the fullness of the experience—whatever the outcome.

In full disclosure, I had quiet dreams that the songwriting hobby might lead to a new path. I envisioned there could be bigger things on the horizon if I kept at it.

Guess what? My vision was 100% correct.

I met my husband.

He was hired to play guitar on one of my sessions in May 2006. I walked in the studio and thought “wow, he’s cute.” In December 2006, I walked down the aisle and said “I do.”
I opened myself up, got out of my comfort zone, plowed through the vulnerability, and arrived at something more amazing than I ever expected.

I always say God dreams bigger for me than I ever will.

My role in making the bigger dreams happen is to initiate, participate, and anticipate—with OPENNESS.

Like a hardback book after the spine is loosened, my pages are ready to be turned. Let the story unfold!