Brilliantly Resilient

"Be where you are on the way to where you want to be going." Um...huh?

The above sounds like a riddle, doesn't it? Then again, isn't life a kind of riddle we try to figure out every day?

Christine Eberle, author of Finding God Along the Way, decided to seek clarity in answering life's riddle by undertaking a journey--literally and figuratively--as she and her husband walked the Camino of St. Ignatius Loyola in 2022.

For the uninitiated, the Camino (there are two--one of St. James and one of St. Ignatius), is a walking pilgrimage along the paths travelled by the saints as they experienced their conversions and deepened their relationship with God. In modern times, walking the Camino is a journey of discovery and peace undertaken by those seeking the same.

Those who travel the Camino consider themselves pilgrims--traveling the journey for spiritual growth and learning. Often, more human connections are formed as well, as Christine discovered. Undertaking the 676,000 step trek (with accompanying pain every day), Christine wanted to learn to live life "with a pilgrim's heart," meaning "We have a destination, and the destination is fixed, but we are very present to where we are in the given moment," Christine explains.

In Brilliantly Resilient terms, this translates to several core concepts: Do not be married to outcomes, and let go of what "should be" to make room for what "could be." As we plan our life journeys and our desired outcomes, we must be willing to evolve. Do what you have to do but be willing to let the moments evolve as you move, perhaps slowly, towards where you want to be. Christine found some of her most moving experiences were with those who helped her in her vulnerable moments during the days she was forced to rest--not part of her plan.

As we walk into 2025, consider your own journey with intention. Determine your destination, but allow for growth and change--and perhaps open yourself to some spiritual guidance along the way.

Learn more about Christine Eberle here, get the book, and be sure to tune into this week's podcast and listen for these additional bits of Brilliance:

• It's being fixed. Having your destination fixed, but also being very present to exactly where you are. The goal in pilgrimage is to be where you are on the way to where you know your want to be going.
• We shouldn't fix our desires on (our definitions of success) or failure.
• Instead of fixing our desires, even those should float freely because our free floating desires can reveal God's deep desires for us.
• Of all the hopes and imaginings that preceded what is (currently) happening, open yourself to the grace that's being offered through the reality of what is (currently) happening.
• There is grace in the blisters.
• So there is a beauty in vulnerability that can allow us to grow if we will recognize that it's not a failure. (MF)

Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together!

XO,

Mary Fran