A Clean Slate

I loved third grade with my favorite teacher, Miss D’Antonio. It was the most memorable year of grade school for me. I can still remember staying after class to wash the blackboard for her, wiping away the chalk dust and leaving a fresh, clean slate for the next day. I imagine that’s where the expression “clean slate” first came alive for me.

Now, two months into recovery from a heart attack, I find myself once again standing before a clean slate. My body has made it clear that I need to live differently than I did before. Though I was active and ate reasonably well, the stress and workload were more than my heart could bear. Thankfully, some wonderful people are stepping forward to envision new ways of managing TLC, and as I let go of responsibilities I’ve long carried, I face the task of creating a new self to walk into this next chapter. That means releasing old patterns and habits that no longer serve me.

Joe Dispenza speaks about creating an image of the future self you wish to embody, and then practicing what it feels like to already be that self. In meditation, you begin to inhabit that new version of yourself now. Isn’t that powerful? Like a freshly wiped blackboard, it opens the imagination and invites creativity.

I actually wrote these reflections before taking a nap with one of Joe’s meditations playing in the background. When I woke, a video had auto-played in which he was talking about that very day, August 23rd, as a turning point. It was a Black Moon, the second new moon in a month, which astrologically symbolizes transformation and renewal. What stopped me in my tracks was hearing him repeat the exact phrase I had just written: “clean slate.” He described it as a chance to wipe the board clear and begin a new cycle. And then he added: “The universe is giving you a sign too clear to ignore.” I felt like the universe had underlined my message with an exclamation point!

I can almost feel the sponge gliding across the blackboard, leaving it shining clear and bright. It’s such a hopeful image, sweeping away the old to make space for new intentions, fresh energy, and all the possibility life still holds on this little marble spinning through space.

A Blessing for the Journey:

May today offer you a clean slate,

ready for you to write a new story for your life.

The universe is always speaking.

May you find the quiet to listen.

-Robin