It's Called a Journey for a Reason
Lessons of Light Issue #11
I’ve just returned from a week in Sedona where I immersed myself in a deep spiritual journey. This was my third March in a row attending one of these experiences (led by Carissa Schumacher), and each time, it offers something new to uncover, integrate, and embody.
It’s called a journey for a reason—it’s not a retreat in the traditional sense. There’s nothing fancy about it. We gather in a room for breath work, receive teachings, release what no longer serves us, and deepen our connection to the Divine. When the weather allows, we take to the land, but this time, Sedona greeted us with rain and snow. Even so, I found moments in the early mornings to walk in nature with dear friends in this community. Snow on the red rocks in Sedona is stunning. Our conversations are always illuminating — probably my favorite part of attending these journeys are the deep friendships I’ve made.
So much wisdom was shared over these four days, and I want to share a few powerful themes that stood out. They are:
The Lifting of the Veil of Complacency
Service Through Joy
The Importance of Negative Space
These themes invite us to look honestly at our lives:
🔷 Where have we allowed complacency to take hold?
🔷 Are we serving from a place of joy or obligation?
🔷 Do we allow space for stillness, or are we caught in the cycle of constant doing?
As we navigate this time of immense change, we are being asked to step forward with clarity, intention, and deep spiritual alignment. I am in. Are you? Let’s take a deeper look at these themes below. 👇🏻
The Age of Aquarius & The Lifting of the Veil of Complacency
We are now fully stepping into the Age of Aquarius 👉🏻 This is a time of originality, integrity, humility, and accountability. This era calls us to shift from outdated structures and ways of thinking into new, aligned ways of creating and contributing.
One of the most significant shifts is the lifting of the Veil of Complacency—a veil that keeps many of us bound up in patterns that no longer serve us.
Complacency stalls our conscious evolution, keeping us in a state of idling instead of moving forward.
It disconnects us from our Divine passion— which is the unique way we are meant to serve with joy in this lifetime.
It is the gateway to complicity, keeping us in a loop of stagnation rather than stepping into our gifts.
2025 is calling us to release fear, step out of complacency, and stop playing small.
This is a moment to align with our authenticity and originality, and to create a meaningful life with intention.
Service Through Joy: The New Structure of Contribution
One of the greatest shifts we are being asked to make is how we view service.
Sometimes service can feel like depletion, sacrifice, and obligation—or what’s called servitude through suffering. But we are being invited into a new way of looking at it: service through joy.
Service through joy is a contribution, not an obligation. It flows from alignment, not exhaustion.
It is co-creative, a partnership between us and something greater than ourselves.
It is regenerative—if we are constantly drained, we are being called to recalibrate.
It is not about chasing joy but allowing the energy of joy to move through us.
It is humble, honoring the free will of others without forcing our service upon them.
It exists through us, not by us—we are simply vessels for something greater.
When we serve from joy, our actions become more powerful, sustainable, and transformative—not just for others, but for ourselves.
The Importance of Negative Space: The Sacred Pause
In order to fully step into this new way of being, one thing we’re being asked to embrace is Negative Space—the sacred pause that allows for regeneration, integration, and clarity.
“Positive doing, negative space.”
Without negative space, we fall into burnout, always doing, doing, doing—forgetting to check in with ourselves.
It is in the pause that we receive Divine guidance and prevent impulsive decisions created from urgency.
It is a space of gestation, where ideas and insights have time to fully form before being rushed into action.
It is where we reconnect with ourselves, our intuition, and our soul-aligned path.
Without negative space, we risk reacting rather than responding. We risk missing the call of what’s next.
Progress can be found in the pause.
So, where in your life has complacency taken hold?
Are you serving from joy, or from depletion?
Do you allow yourself the gift of sacred pauses, or are you caught in a cycle of busyness?
And, if you’re wondering, “Well, what is my Divine passion? Also, what is Divine passion?! How can I be in service through joy? What lights me up and how the heck do I want to share it?,” I’m weaving all of this into my course I’m launching later this spring (You Should Totally Do It). Let’s dig in together.
💥Join my waitlist to learn more.💥
🗞️ Read This: Family Voices AI Newsletter
I’m holding a big light for Jonathan Grossman’s new offering called Family Voices AI Newsletter.
Yes, if his name sounds familiar, you’ve been paying attention. That’s my hubs!
We are both in our what’s next mode in our careers and it feels like the early days when we were launching our band Dogwood Moon. It feels promising, it feels joyful, and it’s keeping us on our toes. We are in learning mode again. How fun is that? (As long as we continue to embrace the unknown without getting mired in fear, am I right?)
What Jonathan is up to is exciting. More to come on that projects he’s working on, but in the meantime, I highly recommend signing up to receive his new weekly newsletter. It’s a thoughtfully curated mix of current AI trends, useful tools, thought leaders, random thoughts, and news. Through it, I’m learning new things to implement into my business, and it’s serving up a big dose of inspo, too.
Read the first newsletter here. IT IS GOOD!! (And I’m not just saying that because this is my sweetie.)
🎧 Listen to this: How to Blow Up Your Life podcast
Did you know that one of my gigs is that I’m a podcast coach? I help people launch their podcast from a seed of an idea to publication. My joy is helping people connect with what lights them up and getting their voice heard. There is room for all of us! I believe everyone has magic and medicine to share. (If you’ve been thinking of launching your own podcast, you should totally do it!)
Recently, I worked with Sara Stansberry to help her launch her podcast called How to Blow Up Your Life. Don’t you just love that title?! Sara has a book coming out early 2026 of the same name. She was a joy to work with!
🎙️ Take a moment to listen to Sara’s podcast trailer: CLICK HERE 👉🏻 And then subscribe to her podcast.
➡️ Also, you can find Sara here on Substack: CLICK HERE 👉🏻 and be sure to subscribe to her newsletter. She is a beautiful writer and has so much wisdom to share.
Oh, and Sara, thanks for this quote! 👇🏻
💬 If you are thinking about launching a podcast and want to work with someone who is part part conscious coach, part cheerleader, and part here’s-exactly-what-you-need-to-do guide, reach out and let’s chat. 📝 Send me a note here on Substack or email me at Laurie@holdthelightcollective.com
🎼 Download this song: Allison Russell — “The Returner”
My dear Journey sister, Leiko, sent me this song the other morning. It was exactly what I needed after returning from Sedona and was sitting with all that I absorbed from the week. She sent it out the blue as something to share for no particular reason, as my generous soul sister is known to do! And so, I’m passing it on.
🎙️ On Hold the Light this week…
We are exploring the sacred cycles of beginnings and endings, offering comfort and wisdom to anyone navigating loss or seeking a deeper purpose behind the human experience. While we often think of life and death as opposites—one to be celebrated and the other to be feared—this teaching invites us to see them as partners in the soul’s journey. By embracing both, we can find greater peace, presence, and freedom.
This is The Alpha, the Omega, and Eternal Life.
