Dear Friends,

I came across this short video reel on Instagram and it really moved me. It features a woman who is ordering off the menu at the restaurant of the Universe. She orders French Fries, because that is the only thing on the menu, but then she catches sight of another woman at the restaurant eating pasta.

"How did you get that?" She asks the other woman. "That was not on the menu!"

"You can order whatever you want," The second woman responds. "You don't have to just order what's on the menu."

The first woman then takes several efforts to order pasta and send back the french fries, until she eventually gets the pasta she really wants.

The profound truth of the video was not in the french-fries woman just deciding to "manifest" the pasta and getting it immediately. To me, the most truth-touching part of it was in the ways she tried and failed to get what she wanted, unsure if she really deserved it, confused about whether it would be rude or she would disliked if she tried to get what she wanted.

With every big thing I've ever wanted, these are the things that prevent me from going after it:

1. The fear of disappointment if I don't get it. Could I handle failing when I wanted it SO BADLY?
2. The fear of having other people not like me. What if I asked for a big thing (real love, a big job, more money) and people said, "who does she think she is?"
3. The fear of it revealing the truth that I don't deserve this good thing.

When I take a deep breath and face these fears head on, I see how old they are, how protective they are, and also how they are just stories set up to scare me so I don't take risks. Because when I actually answer each of these questions from a place of strength, this is what I hear myself say:

1. If I don't get it, and I'm disappointed, I will survive. I have been disappointed before, and survived.
2. If people don't like me, and ask "who does she think she is?" I will repond, "she thinks she is worthy of trying to get/do big things. And that is beautiful and good."
3. It can't reveal the truth that I don't deserve good things, because I do. Not because I'm special, but because I'm alive. Everyone deserves good things, by virtue of belonging here on earth.

What is the pasta you are wishing for in this moment? What fears are stopping you? Can you take a deep breath and plunge forward anyway?

The best part is not getting the pasta. The best part is knowing you had the courage to order exactly what you wanted. What gets placed in front of you afterwards is just bonus. 🍝 ✨

With so much love,

Yael

PS: Know someone who needs to hear this message? Please forward along to them and encourage them to sign up HERE​

Workshops!

Need some help to turn your anxieties and fears into empowerment and joy? I am leading this FREE workshop: Flip Your Fear: From Anxiety to Joy, through the NYU Islamic Center next week, Monday, April 20, 7-8:30pm ET, in-person at 238 Thompson Street, NYC and streamed online. Open to the public, but RSVP required. Over 100 people have already signed up!

Retreats!

There is nothing quite like a retreat to jump-start (or deepen) your practice, re-set your life, and reconnect you to what really matters. I am co-teaching on a bunch this summer - hope to see you there!

Yael Shy is the CEO and Founder of Sefira Wellness with over two decades of supporting others in uncovering their inherent worth and capacity for deep joy through mindfulness. She is the author of the award-winning book What Now? Meditation for Your Twenties and Beyond (Parallax, 2017) and teaches at NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service. You can find her on Instagram at @yaelshy1. 2299 Summer St. #1249, Stamford, CT 06905 ​Unsubscribe · Preferences​