Before Awakening

This morning, something unexpected happened.

I was in that in-between space,

not fully asleep and not fully awake,

where your mind drifts a little differently.

Softer. Looser. Less guarded.

And without trying,

ideas for keynote speeches were running through my mind.

Titles. Themes. Stories.

Not in a forced way.

Not like I was sitting down trying to figure it out.

It was like I was… mining.

Moving through my life,

through the landslide that destroyed Tatsuda’s,

through this last year of grief, destabilization,

challenge, and pulling out pieces.

Moments. Lessons. Turning points.

Things that could help other people find their way through their own hard seasons.

And then it shifted.

I didn’t just see one talk.

I saw many.

Different rooms. Different messages. Different ways of saying the same deeper truth.

And somewhere in that space, between the conscious and the unconscious, I found something I didn’t expect.

Belief.

Not the kind you talk yourself into.

Not the kind you try to build.

The kind that’s just there.

Clear. Quiet. Certain.

That what I have to offer is valuable.

Unique.

Rare, even.

That I don’t need more credentials or more time or more proof.

That everything I need to create something meaningful, impactful, and successful is already inside of me.

And then I woke up.

Made my coffee.

And realized it’s true.