Getting ready for a bike ride My little stone project has been re-inspired lately. I took a trip to the beach to collect stones and since then have been writing notes and placing them out in the world again. For those who don't know.. on one side I write little notes of inspiration or wisdom and on the other side is an email address that people can write to if they find a stone and are compelled to reach out. To date, I have put out hundreds of these stones across Canada. I call the project an experiment in serendipity. I am curious whether the stones have meaning and resonance to those who find them. Yesterday I received one of the most beautiful letters, and it reconnected me with the heart of this project. This is what it is all about. He gave me permission to share his story. A young man who was going through some pretty big changes in his life found a stone recently. He reached out letting me know that he had found it. I wrote back asking which stone he found (what it said) and whether it had any resonance in his life. He shared this... "I had a feeling as soon as I saw it that it was special., it stood out against the morning grey and looked like it had been placed with care inside a concrete footprint on the dock in Gimli, Manitoba. It reads Be brave. Be free. Be true to yourself. Be awesome." He told me that he had been going through a lot of changes lately, trying to become more independent, and that it had been a hard road. He was having a particularly hard morning that day.. his dad had just had a heart attack two days earlier and he had been feeling a sense of dread and hopelessness for where his life was going. I'll share the rest of the story in his own words... "That's when I saw it, I was instantly drawn to it - also cliche but it felt like it was there for me, it's a very hard feeling to explain. I've had that stone close to me ever since that day and read it everyday to remind myself that even though things are getting harder and life seems dim at some points, that I can still be strong and do and be what and who want all on my own power. I can't thank you enough for putting it there, it's literally a life raft to me." Ah what a beautiful reminder of how easy it is to touch each other with out actions. A total stranger found a life raft in a stone I placed on a pier in Gimli. You just never know what might reach out and touch someone else's life deeply.. all our actions are important. Don't give up on your dreams All the answers are inside you Don't give up on your dreams. The world needs you. You make a difference. The universe needs your light. Follow your passion Let yourself shine.