Dearest Teacher,

Well... today was intense. I started to feel some stress in my work and that is a yellow flag for me to take special care of myself. You know you've told me so many times before that I have to be diligent in taking care not to burn out. So, when the first little needles of dis-ease poked at me I remembered your guidance - time to be extra careful. Of course the first thing I always go to is nature. I know that I will be guided to the "next right thing" when I'm out there. I felt a bit of chaos in my head so I definitely needed the clear air and mountains to untangle. I went to a huge granite mountain wilderness area that I enjoy hiking in and decided on the hardest trail - the one that goes right up to the summit. I don't take this trail very often because it is intense but I thought that I really needed to pound it out today. I started out slow and it felt so good. It seemed like with each step I was releasing. With each step I felt clearer. I imagined that I was leaving all the shit along the trail. I really do believe that the natural world can take our grief, or depression, or anger, or stress and transform it. That's why I love the idea of screaming into the earth or from the summit - the feelings are released and made clean again. Kind of like the ultimate recycling! As I was hiking I found clarity.

But still I am distracted by the voices that sometimes creep back into my consciousness and say, "Your work could be more effective." "Why do my clients sometimes push back in defense?" "If you really tried harder you could be better."

Will I ever be free of this critical voice? How can my work be more powerful? Please guide me as you always do.

Forever your Devoted Student.