It’s not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It’s because we dare not venture that they are difficult.
~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca
I almost always wake long before an alarm can jar me out of sleep. I enjoy the time I lay there because with no urgency to do anything but wait for the time to rise. my thoughts can meander and flow. As I quietly observed my ponderings today, along with what I would write in this article, I realized I was venturing into the unknown without actively trying to do so. I suddenly realized 
that my discomfort of late had all to do with the fact that I’m not the same as I was just a year ago. I have evolved. In fact, when I more actively explored the changes that had taken place, I realized that nearly everything about me had shifted in some way. I did not try to do this, it just happened. Or did it?
The E.V.O.L.V.E. acronym I’ve been explaining in each of the newsletters this year has all to do with how we actively engage in our evolution. It provides the steps to consciously grow and evolve. The acronym was intended to illustrate that our ability to move beyond the old is both an active and conscious process. What I realized this morning is that it goes much deeper and wider than this. I will explain more later.
The words “venture” and “adventure” are related but do not necessarily hold the same meaning. Venture can be used as both a noun that describes an excited activity or journey and a verb that shows some sort of action. The word “adventure” describes an experience that can either result from a planned activity or something that comes about quite accidentally. In the E.V.O.L.V.E. acronym, I intended to show that our evolution is within our control or can be linked to that which we aspire to create in our lives. In order to consciously evolve, we must put some sort of thought into the action in which we need to take part so we can grow beyond our previous understanding or situation.
As we (E)xamine our life, create a (V)ision of how we’d like our lives to be different, (O)bserve ourselves—our thoughts, patterns and behaviors,(L)earn what we are supposed to from our experiences and the world around us, we must then (V)enture into something new in order to overcome our struggles or outgrow our old ways. There is action in our need to venture. We must venture into a new “us” in order to step beyond that which no longer serves us or our highest good. We must venture to consciously evolve.
Few knew this, but I was extremely uncomfortable last year. 
Throughout the year, I experienced intense and almost constant “surges”, an energetic expansion of my awareness, outlook and perspective. My internal landscape had been redesigned without me trying to do so, just by venturing into writing The Healer’s Path. I was challenged to evaluate much about both my personal and professional life. I can’t fully explain why this happened, although I can say that by opening myself to the experience of writing this book venturing into a new project, I also unknowingly embarked on a transformative journey that I’m just now starting to understand. By consciously deciding to write this book—venturing into something new, the circumstances also created an adventure—something (many things) that were unexpected and exciting along the way.
Although the word venture implies going somewhere unpleasant, dangerous or exciting or to “boldly do something new or different that involves risk”, few allow themselves to choose an uncomfortable path regardless of the positive outcome that likely lies at the end. What I now know is that 1) sometimes the discomfort that comes with the unexpected occurs to help us grow and 2) our evolution is accelerated by the (Universe, God or whatever term you use) when we venture into something new.
Dr. Lucas D. Shallua said, “It is in venturing into new territories and soaring new heights that we discover the unknown mysteries of the promised land and treasures hidden in secret places”. For me, while I ventured into writing a book that would help healthcare workers across the globe recover from the most historic medical event in our lifetime, I didn’t know I would change personally in so many ways.
As you could likely guess, I actively try to make sense of the events in my 
life to understand how my soul interacts with what the Universe presents me. When I look back now, I realize that by following my soul’s instinct in writing The Healer’s Path, I ventured into allowing other things into my life which caused my awareness, particularly related to love and compassion, to exponentially expand. I see and experience life by a far wider and deeper lens than just a year ago. I often tell clients, “When we open up to the Universe, the Universe opens up to us.”In this case, by creating a helpful tool for healthcare workers, I also unexpectedly received many gifts from simply deciding to write a book. To venture is to receive the many adventures provided by the Universe. When we stretch our edges, far more positive outcomes are presented than what we could have expected or created on our own.
American Dancer Twyla Tharp said, “Venturing out of your comfort zone may be dangerous, yet do it anyway because our ability to grow is 
directly proportional to an ability to entertain the uncomfortable.” As you consider the E.V.O.L.V.E. acronym, ask yourself if you’re willing to venture into something new if it means creating a more radiant and fulfilling life—even if you don’t fully know what that will mean until you experience change. To consciously venture into a new world means creating one better than you could even imagine, especially when the forces outside of you see your willingness to redesign your own internal landscape.
Do we set out to change or does it happen regardless of what we do? The answer is both. The next question is, “Are you willing to open to the adventure of venturing into something new?”
Embrace the notion of venturing beyond your own limits.
~ Eleesha
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