A New Horizon From The Threshold
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“To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest. To live fully is to be always in no-man's-land, to experience each moment as completely new and fresh. To live is to be willing to die over and over again. ”― Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times Hello Reader, Welcome to The Threshold.This is a quiet letter, written from the southern edge of Portugal, where the land meets the sea and the sky feels just a little wider. It’s here, in the space between stories, that I write to you—not as an expert, but as a companion walking beside you. I took off the month of August to recalibrate and connect to something that had been nudging me for a while. A shift I couldn't describe. A feeling of "too much" and "not enough" both at the same time. It was a message to step back and listen. If you don’t already know me, I’m Alicia, a writer, author, guide, and contemporary mystic. My work lives at the intersection of belonging, becoming and the sacred beauty of ordinary spaces. I write books, essays, and poetry that offer companionship and support through life transitions and I share practices to guide you with greater ease and less struggle. I also host retreats here in the Algarve and hold space for people who are navigating thresholds of their own—career changes, identity shifts, spiritual awakenings, and the quiet ache of reinvention. I was inspired to name this missive The Threshold by one of my favorite writers, John O'Donohue. In his book, To Bless the Space Between Us, he writes, "At any time you can ask yourself: At which threshold am I now standing? At this time in my life, what am I leaving? Where am I about to enter? What is preventing me from crossing my next threshold? What gift would enable me to do it? A threshold is not a simple boundary; it is a frontier that divides two different territories, rhythms, and atmospheres. Indeed, it is a lovely testimony to the fullness and integrity of an experience or a stage of life that intensifies toward the end into a real frontier that cannot be crossed without the heart being passionately engaged and woken up. At this threshold a great complexity of emotion comes alive: confusion, fear, excitement, sadness, hope. This is one of the reasons such vital crossings were always clothed in ritual. It is wise in your own life to be able to recognize and acknowledge the key thresholds: to take your time; to feel all the varieties of presence that accrue there; to listen inward with complete attention until you hear the inner voice calling you forward. The time has come to cross." The thing is, we are always moving through thresholds, we may simply not be aware until we feel that intensity into another frontier. These thresholds are living spaces, liminal spaces where what was and what will be hold the possibility of becoming more connected to Self and to the you, you are becoming. They are invitations to cross intentionally, without resistance, to meet the magic on the other side. There is a sense of surrendering one's arrogant attachments to humbly cross to meet yourself on the other side. This is not a "fast track" to enlightenment. It's a conscious and deliberate undertaking, aware that the living invitation is before you and you can choose how you enter the doorway. We have lost the rituals and ceremony of past traditions when these crossings were made sacred. Thresholds between youth and maturity, between singlehood and marriage, the gentle shift of the seasons for planting and harvesting, and especially, the threshold between life and death. You might be here because you feel a shift coming. Or because something you once knew no longer fits. Maybe you're not sure where you're headed—only that you're not meant to stay where you've been. Perhaps you are moving too fast in your life and seeking ways to be more present, slow down a bit or refocus on what truly matters so you can experience the beauty in your life, even in challenging times. Pema Chödrön’s quote above has been a kind of manifesto for my life, realized on my cliff walks in the beautiful Algarve where I live. It seems I am constantly throwing myself out of the nest, intentionally pushing the edges of my life to expand into the world even as I retreat into the inner recesses of my soul for nourishment as I die over and over again to awaken anew. This newsletter is the result of stepping away from the busyness that enveloped me to challenge my work and place in the world – and in yours. I am tired of the social media frenzy that drains my creativity and closes the doors to my imagination. I am committed to stepping back into my authentic flow with the radical trust that it will serve me and you. This newsletter is not meant to teach or advise. It’s meant to accompany. To reflect. To offer language for the subtle moments that don’t always make it into conversation. Each edition of The Threshold will include a short reflection and one question—something for your journal, your walk, or your heart to hold. I hope to write to you twice a month but there is no schedule, the nudge of inspired thinking and the beauty of ordinary moments will dictate my entering your inbox. For longer essays, poems and inspirational writing please visit my Substack at Nothing Is Ordinary. I hope to stand with you at your threshold and provide the inspiration and support for your own flight from the nest. Today's Threshold QuestionWhere in your life are you lingering at the edge of something new? You don't have to have the answer right now. Let it simply seep into your consciousness. And if you feel called, I'd love to hear from you. Just hit reply. With presence from the Algarve, P.S. For a deeper dive, read my recent Substack - Nothing Is Ordinary essay here.
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