You Get to Choose to BE Centered

Emergence isn't always beautiful. A lizard breaking through a gelatinous egg. A butterfly struggling out of its cocoon. Both require resistance. Both involve grief for what's being left behind. Both are necessary for what comes next.

Right now, many of us are trying to emerge into something new while the world feels relentlessly chaotic. The noise. The distraction. The constant barrage. How do we stay centered without shutting down? How do we transform without going numb?

The Question at the Center

Here's what I've been sitting with: Are you the center of your universe, or are you orbiting someone else's?

How much of what you believe is actually yours? How much has been absorbed from the collective - from family, culture, society, the relentless scroll of opinions that aren't your own?

How much of what you desire is truly your desire? And how much is what you think you're supposed to want?

Who or what have you made the center of your world? A partner? A parent? A job? A crisis? The news cycle that never stops demanding your attention?

The Observer and the Participant

It is in times like these we can feel like being on the outside looking in is self-preservation. When the world feels like a runaway train; the chaos, the uncertainty, the programming - staying on the edge protects us from falling completely into that cavern of cray cray.

There's a difference between observing with awareness and disappearing or hiding altogether. Between protecting your center and abandoning it.

What if, instead of orbiting someone else's chaos, you chose to center yourself? BE the center, from a place of power and agency.

To be centered means knowing where you stand. Feeling your own ground. Trusting your own knowing instead of constantly looking outside yourself for permission, validation, or direction.

A Practice in Reclaiming Your Center

Try this. Say it out loud. Notice what shifts.

Take a breath. Ask yourself: where do I feel centered when I am feeling safe, joyous, confident or powerful?

Create into that place.

"This is my time." "This is how I feel." "Here's where I'm successful." "Here is where I matter."

Not shouted. Not forced. Just claimed. Quietly. Firmly.

This is about finding your true voice - the one that centers you in your own life.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Moms, Dads who are Moms, Grandparents, Aunts, foster Moms... Blessings to all the Moms who are nurturing us from the other side. Love and support to you future Moms. All of you who hold space to nurture. All of you who care. Without you and your LOVE, we are nothing. I'm grateful for you, the true unsung heroes.

This day can be hard for many.

To those Mothers who have lost a child. To the Children who have lost their Mothers. To those who are Mothers to their mothers. To anyone who has a difficult family situation.

I see you. You are not alone. Sending strength and LOVE to all hearts on all levels.

This Mother's Day weekend, I am especially thinking of my dearest friend Nancy, in all the ways that matter for me - Sister, Friend, Teacher, Healer, Mother in the deepest sense. She knew how to center herself, how to shine from her own light. She lived fully, loved deeply, and never lost herself in the noise.

This newsletter is inspired by Nancy. Rest up and shine on. ✨

On Monday, May 11th I'm hosting Embracing The Future You our monthly Zoom gathering where we create space together.

This month feels especially important. We'll focus on grounding, centering, and reclaiming what's actually ours in a world that constantly asks us to give ourselves away.

Mother's Day weekend feels like the right time for this. A time to honor the ones who mothered us, yes. But also a time to mother ourselves - to tend to our own center, to protect our own emergence.

Everyone is welcome. Come prepared for guided meditation, group reading, shared insights, and a whole lot of clarity.

The world will keep spinning. The noise will keep coming. You get to choose your center. You can choose to emerge transformed and alive.

LOVE your way,
Tony

P.S. If you haven’t tried my free meditations, now might be the perfect time. Find them here: tonyleroy.com/free-meditations