You are not the storm

"You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather." - Pema Chödrön

I keep coming back to this quote as we move through these final weeks of the year. We identify with our circumstances so completely that we forget: we are not the weather. We are the sky that holds it all.

The challenges of this year? Weather.
The victories? Weather.
The anxiety, the joy, the uncertainty? All weather.

But you? The part of you that witnessed it all, that remained even when everything else shifted? That's the sky. That's what's constant.

Two practices for this week:

Notice what's weather. When something difficult arises, practice naming it. "Anxiety is here. That's weather passing through." This isn't dismissing your feelings. It's remembering they don't define the whole of who you are.

Find your sky. Take five minutes to ask: What part of me has been here through everything? That witnessing presence that's been with you through every season? That's your sky.

The year you've lived has brought all kinds of weather. Some beautiful. Some that knocked you sideways. All of it temporary.

But you're still here. The sky that held it all.

What would it feel like to trust that more deeply?

P.S. If you're looking to explore this kind of reflective work more deeply as we move into 2026, join us January 31st for Your Intentional Year, a one-day retreat focused on intentional reflection and planning. Through tomorrow, save 10% when you register here.