The Light Within
Celebrating one year of Soulful Sundays, and the deep beauty of becoming.
Dear Beautiful Soul,
Welcome to April—a new month, a new season, and a fresh invitation to deepen your connection to yourself. March guided us to clear, to protect our peace, and to embrace stillness. Now, as the earth softens and blooms, something sacred stirs within: an inner awakening.
This week feels especially meaningful for me. It marks my birthday—my own return to the light after another trip around the sun. It also marks the one-year anniversary of The Soulful Sunday Subscription.
One full year of showing up, writing, reflecting, and offering practices to nourish your soul. Whether you've been here since the beginning or have recently joined, thank you. Your presence means everything to me. This space, this community, this journey—it’s all been made richer by your heart.
And the most exciting part? We’re just getting started. I have beautiful surprises and soul-nourishing additions planned for Year Two, and I can't wait to share them with you.
So let this week be a celebration—not just of my life, or this offering, but of your blooming. Of the sacred moment when your roots stretch deeper and your spirit turns toward the light.
You don’t have to rush your becoming. You don’t have to have it all figured out. Simply be willing to listen.
Let’s begin.
The Soulful Reflection: The Awakening Within
This week held many layers for me—some joyful, some bittersweet, all deeply personal. Turning 50 is a milestone I never imagined would land during such a season of transformation. And yet, here I am—softening into a rhythm not led by urgency, but by trust. Trust in the timing of life. Trust in myself.
I've also spent time reflecting on what it means to mother not just my child, but myself. With Oli three weeks into residential care, I've been feeling space open up in my heart—a place where grief and hope sit side by side. His courage and growth are breathtaking. Watching him rise has inspired something new in me, too.
I keep hearing these words: The greater the challenge, the greater the growth. Isn’t that the truth?
Spring has always been my favorite season. This year, it feels especially symbolic. Just as the smoke from wildfires has cleared and the hills of Los Angeles have turned green and bright, I too am entering a new landscape. One where possibility returns. Where light and life push through the soil of all I’ve carried.
This week, I noticed something tender stirring within: my voice. My clarity. My truth. After so many seasons of holding, sacrificing, and showing up for everyone else—I now hear myself more clearly. I know what I want. And I’m learning to speak it.
Turning 50 isn’t about age—it’s about awareness. It’s about recognizing the quiet shifts in my emotional, physical, and spiritual health. It’s about honoring the path I’ve walked and making space for the woman I’m still becoming.
I’m learning to give myself permission to rest, to heal, and to receive. To look back on the lessons of the last year—and the last decade—with compassion. And to offer that same compassion to you.
You’re doing your best. I know I am, too.
Be kind to your heart, dear friend.
Here are a few prompts that helped guide me this week. I hope they nourish your soul as well:
What are the gifts of this new season I’m just beginning to see?
What does turning a corner awaken in me—emotionally, physically, spiritually?
Where am I being invited to trust the unfolding of my life?
How can I honor the woman I’ve been—and the one I’m still becoming?
This awakening hasn’t been loud. It’s been soft and steady—like the morning sun warming the petals of a bloom not quite open.
Let it be enough.
With love and light,
Charity 💜
🌿 Guided SoulShift: A Path to Awakening
Recognize
What have I been quietly longing for?
Where am I beginning to notice new energy?
Reflect
How have I grown over the past season?
What am I awakening to within myself?
Release
What thoughts or habits are keeping me in winter energy?
What old narratives am I ready to soften and let go of?
Rewrite
What new truths feel ready to take root?
How can I support my own awakening with compassion?
Reclaim
What passion, purpose, or presence do I want to reclaim this month?
What does it look like to show up fully for myself—just as I am?
This Week’s Soulful Self-Care Activities
1. Journaling Prompts
Where in my life am I beginning to feel awake again?
What is asking for my attention, devotion, or care this week?
2. Mindfulness Practice: The Morning Bloom
Each morning this week, spend 1–2 minutes noticing something that is blooming or changing in nature.
Let this observation mirror your own growth. Whisper to yourself: “I am blooming, too.”
3. Creative Ritual: Spring Altar
Create a small altar with natural elements—flowers, stones, leaves, candles.
Each time you pass it, pause and place your hand on your heart. Say: “I honor the life blooming within me.”
Flow Into Calm: Guided Visualization
“The First Bloom”
Close your eyes. Imagine yourself as a seed resting in the soil—safe, held, still. Now, slowly feel yourself begin to stretch. A root sinks down. A sprout reaches up.
You rise through the dark earth into soft sunlight. Your petals begin to unfurl—delicate, radiant, ready.
You are blooming. Not because you rushed. But because you trusted your timing.
Repeat silently:
✨ “I trust the pace of my becoming. I awaken gently and fully.”
Affirmations for the Week
I awaken slowly and sweetly.
My life blooms in perfect timing.
I am safe to stretch into what’s next.
I listen to my inner seasons.
I honor where I am and where I’m headed.
A Simple Ritual: The Awakening Walk
Go on a short walk in nature. Don’t bring music or distractions. Just observe.
Notice signs of spring—new leaves, birdsong, a bud about to bloom.
With each step, say silently: “I am waking up. I am coming alive.”
Weekly Intention
This week, I choose to awaken with ease. I let the light in. I listen to what’s stirring in my soul.
“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” — Leo Tolstoy
Dear One,
There is no rush to bloom. No pressure to rise before you're ready. Let yourself awaken gently.
May this be a week of quiet noticing, of soft strength, and of sacred unfolding.
Thank you for walking this path with me—for one full year. I’m honored to walk alongside you into all that’s still to come.
With tenderness and joy,
Charity 💜