Memoir

The Gentle Art of Guiding

Seeing more, knowing less, and guiding well

When I look back at the moments that shaped my understanding of what it means to truly guide others, what stands out most are not the times when someone impressed me with their expertise, but when they shifted the way I saw life itself. Expertise has its place—it can fix what is broken, explain the mechanics, give us confidence that we are in capable hands. But the people who left a lasting mark on me were those who opened my eyes wider, who made me pause and notice the larger picture when I was caught up in the small details.

8

When the Mirror Cracked

It wasn’t always like this.

But lately, I’ve begun to notice it more — the tremble in my breath, the tightening of the jaw, the sudden flush of heat when things don’t go as I’d hoped. Not with the world outside. I’ve made peace with its chaos. It’s the people closest to me that stir the storm.

9

The Gentle Art of Living the Mystery

I wanted to witness a lotus bloom at sunrise.

So, for several days, I had been returning to the same quiet lake—sitting in still anticipation, just before dawn, wrapped in silence and a bit of childlike hope. There was something about the idea—a flower opening itself to light, not with force, but with grace—that called to me. On one of those mornings, as mist curled over the surface of the water like a secret unfolding, I saw it happen—not in an explosion, but in a gentle yielding. And in that hushed moment, something inside me softened.

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