When you soften, let your breath move you, notice how you feel, and respond with care, you are including yourself. And when you include yourself, you naturally create a safe feeling for others around you. It feels like magic, but it's a practice available to all of us.

A few kids adopted us at the county fair yesterday, and somewhere between the rides, a conversation about engineering, and a whole lot of laughter, I was reminded that softness has a way of revealing the best in people. Maybe our greatest strength isn't becoming someone else, but bringing more of who we already are into the world.

A friend asked me what I have been up to lately. It was a great question, but one I strangely enough had a bit of trouble answering, and I'm thanking my softness practice for that.

This week I surprised myself with how much I'm capable of and how calm I can be at the same time.

I'm not a superhero or anything more special than anyone else. I think believing that everyone has something special to offer is one of the things that has sustained my wellbeing through moments of excitement as well as moments of real challenge.