Rainy days such as these call for pretty cups of tea, reading books, creative endeavors, and Yuna's sweet voice. 

I'm drinking hot cinnamon sunset tea and watching rain drip from trees. I wrote in my morning pages that I used to crave sunlight and dry, hot days. Now, rain brings me peace. Sometimes the sun just bakes everything out of you.

I read a beautiful post this morning on Ruth's blog, feather spirit. She wrote about trust in limbo land, which is such a lovely example of what The Sacred Middle is all about. Between yesterday and tomorrow is here. Between memories and daydreams is here. There's a lot of questioning and uncertainty, a lot of worry about whether or not this or that will happen. There's a lot of wondering whether we're on the right path and what step to take next.

It all comes down to trust. Trust that the path is unfolding just as it should be and light will be shone on the stepping stone when it comes around. 

Learning to take life one day at a time has been so freeing for me. Instead of worrying about money or jobs or moving or what life will look like two years from now, I just take it breath by breath, moment by moment. I live for today and what I can do now and leave the rest to trust.

The sun is peeking out from clouds now and Yuna sings "Here Comes the Sun." Synchronicity <3 

I was never much of an autumn girl; summer was my cup of sweet, iced tea. When the weather got cooler and the days darker, I'd write poems about chasing the sun, about how I was always reaching for the disappearing light and hot concrete.

I guess I always kept a small spot open for autumn and the feelings it brought on; it has a certain magic to it, a certain Witch Baby feeling. That's what I called it. I think because I first read Witch Baby by Francesca Lia Block in the fall and connected her character to the season somehow. I still do. In fact, I've just pulled the book from my shelf and plan on reading it tonight.

I'm not so much of a summer girl anymore. The past two have been brutal and the summer sun seems to have overstayed its welcome. I find myself entertaining dreams of wrapping myself in a blanket beside the fire (which we never use here in Texas), wearing big, snuggly boots, and drinking mugs of hot chocolate topped with loads of marshmallows. 

I never would have dreamed of that before. And this may be my last autumn/winter - although I'm not sure San Antonio ever enjoys those seasons in the traditional sense. It does get cold, but there's never any snow, and autumn is really just an extension of summer with slightly cooler mornings. 

I say this might be my last because my little family plans on moving to the sea next year. I've always dreamed of living by the sea, but this will be a major uproot, as we'll become ex-pats of the U.S and neither of us has ever lived overseas. 

Some say we're crazy, some say they wish they could do the same. Maybe we are a little bit crazy, but that's how it is when you're chasing dreams. My love wants to live a simple life, tend a garden full of vegetables, get away from the rush of American life. I want the same, plus be able to fully devote myself to writing without worrying about finances. If we can find a cottage by the sea, that would be a dream come true!

It will be quite strange having Christmas in the summertime and spring when my family is enjoying fall, but I welcome the adventure. (I'm a little bit scared too.) Wherever we end up, I pray for happiness and love and new discoveries. Mostly I pray that wherever we are we offer our hearts to those around us.

Many autumn blessings,
Cassandra

There's this line in the book Kiss My Tiara that goes something like, the further you get out of your comfort zone, the bigger it gets. I've carried that with me and recite it when I'm about to do something scary or challenging or uncomfortable. 

Networking is out of my comfort zone. I'm a writer, and like most writers, I'm an introvert who is happy to just stay in my cave and write, read, write, read, and only converse through electronic means. And although that's networking in a way, it's not as good as get-out-there-face-to-face networking.

That's what I challenged myself to do on Tuesday when I attended a women's round table event. My mom and I both went, which helped because she is the in-person networking guru, but I still had to talk about what I do to complete strangers. 

And guess what? It was a lot of fun and I met some super business savvy ladies and even got interest in my freelance writing biz! It also helped me get clearer on what exactly I want to help people with and I was able to finally put on paper what my freelance writing biz is all about. 

And guess what else? Now I know it's not so scary to get out there and talk to people about what I do and how I can help them. And the comfort zone expands a little more.

There really aren't any special secrets to expanding your comfort zone. It's all about taking the leap, diving in, taking a good look at your fear and realizing it's about the size of a peanut. Do the opposite of whatever scares you. Not a net worker? Network! Would rather get a colonoscopy than give a speech? Start speaking! Taking on challenges and learning new things not only expands our comfort zones, it expands our brain power.

So the next time you find yourself in a situation you know will benefit you, but is a little scary, repeat the mantra - the further I get out of my comfort zone, the bigger it gets!