Ranger Rhythm: The Rising Sap - The Rhythm of Discernment
Lessons from Returning Home
I'm sharing this rhythm of 'Internal Momentum' to celebrate the bitter, beautiful work of figuring out where we end and the rest of the world begins.
There is a window in late winter where the air is still bitter, but the trees know something we don’t. Deep inside the bark, the sap is beginning to move. It is a quiet, internal transfer of energy. The tree isn't leafing out yet—it’s not ready to show the world its "spring"—but it is reclaiming its own resources. It is coming home to itself.
I’ve realized that my own energy works the same way. For a long time, I let my "light" draw people in without practicing discernment. I was surfing the energy of others, shifting my own posture to match the relationships I attracted. But this winter, the standstill has taught me a harder, more beautiful truth: I have to come home on my own.
The Discernment of the Light
As a Ranger, I know that a bright light in the dark will attract everything in the forest. It’s up to the one holding the lamp to decide what to let close. I am learning to be steady in my own glow—to trust that the "transfer of energy" in my life (the past, the present, and the "what comes next") is all part of a larger, necessary flow. I don't need to fear the change; I just need to maintain my center.
The Witness
Coming home to North Carolina wasn't just a move; it was a reclamation. I needed the distance to figure out where my responsibilities to myself begin and where my responsibilities to others end. In this bitter February air, I’m not just waiting for spring—I am becoming it. I am gaining momentum in the stillness.
Adjusting the Tempo: The Rhythm of Internal Momentum
When you are in a season of "Coming Home" to yourself, your nervous system can feel a strange mix of peace and "bitter" cold. You are letting go of old connections and navigating new ones.
Regulation is about Reflective Joy. It is the ability to surf the energy of a transition without losing your footing. To find your rhythm, trust the "Sap" rising within you. You don't have to be in full bloom today. You just have to be present for the moment, maintain your momentum, and choose where to shine your light.
The Ranger’s Check-In
Check Your Light: Who or what is currently being drawn to your energy? Does it feel like a healthy exchange, or do you need to adjust your "lamp"?
Claim the Solo: What part of your life do you need to "come home to" on your own right now, without anyone else’s influence?
Look Up: The winter air is bitter, but the year is just getting started. Can you feel the momentum growing in the quiet?
Find your peace. Shine your light.
