Separation usually gets a bad rap, because of its shadow side — it looks like isolation, disconnection, despair, guilt, unworthiness, fear of failure, self-criticism, comparing ourselves to others … and more. But there's also a version of separation that's healthy: it’s the space we create between our soul-self and our mind/ego-self.

That space is discernment. It's the ability to step back from the issues and the noise long enough to feel what feels resonant, what feels truthful, to see through clear eyes. What is real and what is a made up story we are telling ourselves.

Here's why it matters: our mind wants to drive. It wants to be the one in control of the direction we're headed. And when we hand it the wheel, it takes us on all kinds of scary turns and wrong ways — convinced the whole time it's protecting us, guiding us, keeping us safe.

What we're remembering is that our soul and spirit already know the way. The mind can still be useful. It just works better as a loyal servant than as the driver.

We’re also looking at voids we experience in our lives — the in-between unknown spaces our minds hate so much, even though we're basically always standing in one. Turns out, if we choose to accept this idea, a void isn't a problem to solve. It's a space for gestating. It's where our spirit creates new possibilities, if we can resist the urge to fill it too fast.

I return to these teachings of TFT over and over, because it's the thing that brings me back to that pocket of life that feels more free, peaceful, and balanced. It’s a pocket that I still so easily get pushed out of, but through this journey, I’m learning how awareness and presence brings me back into alignment faster. It takes intention. I’m not always great at it, but I keep at it, as I know many of you do, too.

So, an invitation for this week: notice where your mind has been driving instead of your soul. And if you're in a void right now — a between-space, an ending without a clear next — try letting it be a place for something new to naturally, organically form, instead of a problem you have to fix today. Be open to the possibilities.

✴️ Lee Harris’ August energy update.

📝 Don’t call it a gratitude journal. Kate Bowler shares 10 prompts for “when ‘write what you’re grateful for’ just isn’t going to cut it.”

💻 Turns out screen time isn't all bad—a new study found that watching inspirational videos can help reduce stress just as much as meditation does.

🧸 Disney's "Toy Story 5" brings smiles (and 18,000 toys!) to sick kids at 400 children's hospitals.

→ Barack Obama’s summer playlist.

→ Cute baby goat sounds. I mean, honestly! 😍 🐐

→ According to this, looks like I’m moving to North Dakota. How about you? Find the best state for you.

🎥 Psychic John Edwards on life after death — and how much do we really know about it?

🎵 Highwomen by The Highwomen — First time I heard it, I was driving in Santa Monica as I left a women’s circle the beach … and it felt like freedom.

🪒 I’ll admit to this beauty must-have: dermaplaning! No more peach fuzz — just smooth skin (which makes lotions and makeup go on even smoother).

Stephanie Ansin is one of those light-holders whose presence you feel before you even know her story. She's an intuitive writer, reader, and healer — someone devoted to her own spiritual path in a way that shows up immediately when you meet her.

I met Stephanie through a spiritual community we're both part of, and what struck me right away was her warmth. Open-hearted, present, and the real deal!

Stephanie just launched something that looks so beautiful: a new card deck called The Psalms of Shulamit — Prayers and Practices for Times of Inner and Outer Transformation. She says that these are born from her own daily practice of writing, prayer, and intuitive guidance, where each card offers a doorway into stillness — a place to slow down, light a candle, and hear what's been waiting to be heard. Whether you use them as an oracle, a meditation practice, or a journaling companion, they're built for transformation. 

I know so many of you love a good ritual and card deck! So, go take a look — and if you want to know more about Stephanie and her work, start here. ⤵

LEARN MORE ABOUT STEPHANIE AND HOW TO WORK WITH HER HERE →

💜 P.S. Forward this email to one person you think might like it. That’s how this grows — one light-builder at a time. And if someone forwarded this to you and you’d like to keep receiving it, sign up here.

Find Laurie between issues: Instagram · Substack · Hold the Light podcast

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