Week One. Beginnnings.

In the beginning, there was naught but chaos—cosmic sludge, dark voids, wild possibility. Call it the Big Bang, God’s Word, or the primal beat of a kick drum. Whatever you name it, every beginning comes wrapped in both grit and grace. Like Levi said, “the birth canal is filthy and beautiful. You’ll get out.”

My particular flavor of Christianity teaches that creation isn’t a one-and-done deal. God didn’t dip after Genesis 1; instead, the Divine is still humming in every moment, coaxing creation forward, partnering with the universe—and us—in making all things new. The Buddha’s teachings remind us that beginnings never exist in isolation. They’re ripples in a vast karmic ocean, born of what came before, shaping what’s yet to come. Indigenous traditions teach us to respect the cycles of life—each sunrise echoes the first sunrise, each step we take carries the footsteps of those who came before us.

Here’s the thing about beginnings: they’re messy. They don’t wait until you’re ready or the stage is perfectly set. There’s no makeup trailer, it’s all placenta and wrinkles. Beginnings, births, are covered in fluids and sometimes shit. We were somewhere and, without provocation, we are here. And, as long as we’re here, beginnings will keep coming.

This week, honor your beginning. Whether it’s starting a new habit, revisiting a dream, or letting go of something weighing you down, lean into the discomfort. Beginnings aren’t easy, but they’re fertile. Let the chaos of your life—yes, the mess, the uncertainty, the noise—become the rich soil for something new. Take a step, even a small one. The divine isn’t asking for perfection. Just presence.

Challenge: Spend this week creating something from nothing. Write a poem. Plant a seed. Paint a canvas. Build something imperfect and raw. Document the process—journal, take photos, record it—so you can look back and remember that every masterpiece starts as a mess.

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” — Anaïs Nin