Shearwater Wisdom

For those whose fierce devotion to something divine is fraying them at the edges

From Grit to Grace is summoning the devoted...those committed to systems transformation, “following orders” that are not institutional or egoic, but soul-assigned. Ablaze with purpose, trying to embody the future, yet struggling within systems built to sustain the past.

Leaders like these are not grappling with burnout. We’re managing the effects of mischanneled devotion ~ a spiritual strain that arises when our clarity outpaces the structures around us, and we’re asked to carry the cost of their delay.

This is where outdated patterns kick in: Care deeper. Work harder. Carry more. As our bodies creak under the strain, our nervous systems wave red flags...warning that if we don’t re-pattern, the cost may be everything.

But what if there’s another way ~ one that doesn’t demand we betray our bodies or abandon our purpose?

Enter the shearwater, a seabird who spends the vast majority of life at sea. You’ll meet them in Episode 1 of the podcast (launching next week!!!!). But for today, taste a drop of the medicine they offer...

Shearwaters use a flight technique called dynamic soaring, which allows them to harness the power of wind and waves. Rather than fighting the currents, they extract energy from them ~ soaring with minimal effort.

Remarkably, as the wind gusts increase, their flapping decreases. They trust their capacity to hold form in the swirl of storms. They move with the currents…not against them. They glide with minimal effort, with little energy cost to themselves.

I’m still learning how to enter the storms of life and navigate them with love and care, rather than effort and self-sacrifice. Maybe you are too.

When our vision is grand but change remains elusive, it’s easy to lose heart. The problem isn’t that our signal is faint. It’s that the world is noisy.

And the sacred task we carry was never meant to be borne alone.

From Grit to Grace is a recalibration station ~ a place to practice new patterns and replenish our souls, in community. We don’t need to learn anything new. We simply need spaces that help us listen and remember. The grace that guides us is already within.

This podcast isn’t about perfection. It’s a field of inquiry for navigating the gritty, awkward middle of transformation…a stretch that may not look graceful ~ but when attuned to truth ~ is unmistakably full of grace.

Here are the questions I’m flying (and floating) with this week:

• Where in my life am I flapping harder when I’m being invited to glide?

• What internal currents could I trust more fully, if I stopped resisting the storm?

• Where is my body whispering “less effort, more attunement”—and what happens when I listen?

I’d love to hear what this stirs for you…feel free to share in the comments below.

The podcast launches next Thursday. Mark your calendar. Share with a friend.
We’d love to have you with us! https://fromgrit2grace.substack.com/podcast