There is a song by Stephen Sondheim called Move On. I love this song, and I’ve sung it a few times. I resonate with its message about letting go and moving forward when the time is right. The song carries a feeling of wanting something new and different, of yearning to create or experience something fresh while feeling stuck. However, the ultimate message is that nothing will truly be new and different until we do what is ours to do. We each have a mark to make.

We are all on a road of evolution. I, for one, want to leave a mark on this world that will be remembered with love. At times, I find myself misunderstood, and that doesn’t feel very good. But then, I remind myself to move on. I must stay true to who I am and trust that my intentions, though not always understood by everyone, are still valid. Moving on sometimes means releasing the emotions that keep us stuck, or stepping away from relationships that do not recognize us for who we truly are. We all deserve relationships that help us shine, that recognize us as beams of light. I trust myself to offer that to others, and I trust that I deserve the same in return.

Moving on can also mean letting go of old ideas that no longer serve us or those around us. We live in a time when so much is being torn down. I don’t know where it will all lead, but I do know that amidst this seeming chaos, there is order, and it lies within each of us. There is something for each of us to do and to give, and the only way we will know what that is, is by moving on from the expectations of what we think should have been and opening ourselves to the endless possibilities for good that can emerge.

Do we have the imagination to dream of the world we wish to see and be in? Or are we so caught up in external conditions that we cannot see through them enough to recognize that we are the creators of it all? We have the power to heal everything from within.

The only way I know to bring forth a new world is by centering into myself, living in gratitude, and tending to the flowers blooming in my own garden. I believe in the microcosm of the macrocosm—that the little world mirrors the big world. They are one and the same, and what we cultivate within ourselves is magnified in the greater world.

COVID-19 presented us with a profound opportunity to come together, reflect on our lives, and heal our wounds. But perhaps we missed that opportunity. Instead, we spent a great deal of time turning against each other. Now, we are being given another chance.

So, what do we stand for? What do we want to give? How will we serve? What message does our own life convey to the world? Are we happy? Are we living in gratitude? How are our relationships? There is so much work to do within ourselves so that we may contribute to the healing of the world. I work on it daily. It feels good to till the soil of my life, to remove the weeds in my mind, to grow, to stretch, and to expand. As I do, I find myself able to reach out to others and uplift those who may not feel as strong.

I believe these are exciting times. These times ask a lot of us. And that’s okay—we are up for it. If we weren’t, we wouldn’t have shown up. That’s what I believe.

It is time to move on from small-minded, isolated thinking and ask ourselves: What is best for all of us? How can we create a world that works for everyone? It is not impossible. If we can think it, then it is possible.

Love and Aloha,

Dr. Rita Andriello-Feren, Author and Co-Founding Director, CSL Kaua`i