Welcome.
I invite you to find a comfortable position where you can sit with ease.
Allow your spine to lengthen so you can breathe deeply.
If it feels comfortable,
Close your eyes or just soften your gaze.
Take a moment to notice what is supporting you.
The chair,
The floor,
Or maybe the ground beneath your feet.
Let yourself arrive here.
Today,
We will explore step four,
Which says,
We made a searching and fearless moral and financial inventory of ourselves.
You know,
At first this step can sound intimidating,
But step four is not about judgment.
It's about courage.
The courage to look honestly at what is within us so that truth can rise to the surface.
So let's drop into stillness together by taking a few steady breaths.
We will use the four,
Five,
Six count breath pattern in which we will inhale through the nose for four counts,
Hold for five counts,
And then exhale through the mouth for six counts.
Turn your attention to your breath and allow yourself to be here now.
Let's begin.
Inhale through your nose for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Hold for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And exhale through your mouth for six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Good.
And inhale through your nose for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Hold for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And exhale for six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
One more time.
Inhale.
Hold.
Perfect.
Now allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
And as you deepen your breath,
Imagine a quiet lake high in the mountains,
Clear water,
Still crisp air,
Trees surrounding its edges,
Clouds floating across its surface in daylight,
And the moon glowing softly at night.
This is the lake that learned to be still.
High in the mountains,
There was a quiet lake.
For most of the year,
Its waters were clear and calm.
Deer drank from its edges.
Birds skimmed across its surface.
Schools of fish swam and played.
And on still mornings,
The lake reflected the sky so perfectly that clouds seemed to float inside it.
While the light of the moon shone on its surface and lit up the night sky.
But one season,
A series of rough storms rolled through the mountains.
Rain fell hard.
Winds churned the water.
Mud and leaves were swept into that little lake.
From every direction.
Soon,
Its water turned cloudy.
The animals that came to drink no longer saw their reflections.
What's wrong with the lake?
Said some.
It ain't the same.
Others huffed.
It's changed.
Others exclaimed.
Even the lake wondered if something was seriously wrong with it.
Days passed.
The rain stopped.
But the water was still murky.
It started to smell.
Late one night,
The lake hollered out to the moon.
Its old friend,
Who hovered in the sky,
Said,
Moon,
Something is wrong with me.
I can't seem to get clean.
My waters are dirty and even the friendly deer have left to find a spring.
Mumbling that my clear waters stink.
You know me well.
What do you think?
The moon leaned down to take a deeper look.
You are not so broken that you cannot be fixed.
Her voice confident and sweet.
But I can only reflect what I see.
If I'm honest,
My glow doesn't glisten upon you anymore.
Your water is filled with things I believe you must let go.
But my waters are crystal clear,
I was told.
The best on the mountain,
They used to say.
Not anymore.
Better look again,
My friend.
I would suggest you start from within.
You got work to do if you want to be clear again.
I'll be hovering by.
The moon gave a wink and rose back to her home high in the sky.
Look within.
The lake muttered and sighed.
After reflecting on the moon's words for some days and some nights,
The lake became still and decided to see what was underneath.
He was surprised by the trash,
Astonished by all the leaves and limbs,
Dirt and debris.
He knew he had to act if his waters were to become clean and free.
The lake gathered his courage and acknowledged what was hidden,
What he had chosen not to see.
Slowly and quietly,
Limb by limb and leaf by leaf,
He pushed them to his edges.
He became still and calmly guided the dirt and debris to settle at the bottom down deep.
Animals came.
Some gathered limbs washed to the edge.
They noticed the water clearing and gathered others to come and drink.
After weeks of work and sitting still,
The lake settled,
And as it did,
His waters grew clear.
Soon the mountains appeared again in the lake's reflection.
Then the clouds.
The animals came near and many exclaimed,
Look at the change!
This lake is fresh and clear once more.
Then the moon dropped down to say,
Look at you,
Shining and true.
You washed away the things that needed to move and let the truth you know rise to the surface.
Now my light is bouncing off your waters and leaving the night aglow.
Yep,
I cleared away the debris so my waters can shine brightly.
You're right.
I let the truth surface.
The lake echoed proudly.
After the moon returned to her place in the sky,
The lake realized a thing.
My clear waters were never ruined,
He smiled to himself.
They had only been hidden beneath what has been stirred up.
By allowing everything to settle,
The lake could finally see clearly again.
It had gathered the knowledge and skills to clean any future debris.
And in that clarity,
It was free.
Take a deep breath in and let it go.
Notice what this story stirs within you.
Notice if any part of your body is tense and breathe in and exhale to release the tension.
Notice if your jaw is tight and release.
Notice if your shoulders are raised and release.
Sometimes life storms can churn the waters of our own lives,
Experiences,
Mistakes,
Old pain,
Inconvenient truths.
Over time,
These things can cloud our clarity.
Step four invites us to look within with courage.
Not to punish ourselves,
But to uncover what has been hidden.
Just as the lake did,
Piece by piece,
Leaf by leaf,
We acknowledge what is there.
And as we do,
Truth can surface.
So let's take some time to drop into stillness by returning to our breath.
You may move into the four,
Five,
Six rhythm again,
Or just breathe naturally,
Deepening your breath with each inhale.
And as we breathe,
If it feels helpful,
You can repeat silently in your mind,
I let truth surface.
I will say it three times and then we will sit together in the space that follows.
If your mind wanders,
Know that that is okay.
Simply allow your thoughts to drift like the clouds and return to your breath.
So let's begin.
Inhale,
Four,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Hold,
Four,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And exhale,
Four,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And continue.
I let truth surface.
I let truth surface.
I let truth surface.
And breathe.
Let whatever wishes to rise,
Rise.
I let truth surface.
I let truth surface.
I let truth surface.
I let truth surface.
I let truth surface.
I let truth surface.
Step four is not about being broken.
It's about discovering our willingness,
Our courage to look within and make an honest review of ourselves.
It is about trusting that we are not ruined,
That the dirt and debris can be looked at and removed.
And every truth we uncover brings us closer to clarity,
Closer to freedom,
Closer to the light within.
So I invite you to be brave.
Take a deep breath in.
Take a deep breath out.
Trusting and knowing you may always return to this stillness within,
I invite you to begin to notice the surface beneath you.
You may want to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Turn your head from side to side.
And when you are ready,
Open your eyes.
Carrying with you the quiet courage to let truth surface.
I thank you for joining me on this journey today.
It is always my honor and my privilege.
Thank you.
