Peaks and Valleys

Sadie slammed the door to her room and collapsed on her bed, screaming in and punching her pillow. She felt helpless and in deep despair. After a few minutes, the tears came pouring out. They seemed endless. And then, just like that, they stopped. Sadie felt lighter and a sense of peace washed over her for the first time in months; perhaps years. At that moment, a sunbeam coming through her window caught her attention. It was shining on a little black notebook on her floor. Her mother had gotten it for her as a gift. She knew that Sadie was going through a hard time and thought that maybe writing out her feelings and struggles would help. Sadie didn’t like the idea at first, especially since her relationship with her mom was rather tumultuous at this point. But right now, she was desperate. And she also took it as a sign. So she picked up the notebook and began writing.

She wrote and wrote for what seemed like hours. In reality, it had only been about one hour, but she got out so much. She took a break to go grab some food. She could not believe how great she felt. After she ate, she wanted to write some more. So she grabbed her notebook and took it to her secret place - a tree house she had helped build with her dad in the forest behind their house. This was her place of solace, or at least, it used to be. Lately, she did not feel much, if anything, when she would visit. Today was different though. Something had begun to shift within her. When she arrived at the tree house, it was illuminated by the sun and rainbows were cast inside from the windows. Sadie had never seen it look so beautiful. She climbed inside and began writing some more. The warmth and the beauty washed over her. Before she had time to think about it, she was smiling, and then dancing, and then singing. It was all so wonderful and healing, and then the tears came rushing back. This time, there were some laced with sorrow, but also some with joy and gratitude. She couldn’t believe that all of this started with just writing out her feelings. She committed to writing everyday for a month to see what other gifts awaited her. She had already received so much more than she had from therapy, reading, or any of her addictive and avoidant behaviors.

Day after day, Sadie wrote. She wrote on the days when she didn’t feel like writing. And she wrote more on the days that she did. It soon became a habit and the first thing she looked forward to in the morning. It was also the last thing she did before falling asleep. Her life was changing right before her very eyes, and all her friends and loved ones were witnessing the transformation as well. Everyone asked what it was that she was doing, and when she told them, most laughed it off because it seemed too simple. They thought for sure, she had some secret up her sleeve that she was not sharing. Sadie could only smile, because it seemed too simple to her as well. But she knew it was her relationship with her little black notebook that had changed everything.

It was almost summer, and the perfect day weather-wise. Sadie asked her mom if she could take the convertible out for a drive along the coastline. Her mom handed her the keys and told her to enjoy the ride. Sadie hopped in the car, threw her notebook on the passenger’s seat, and put the top down. Then she was on her way. With the sun on her face, the wind in her hair, her favorite music playing, and her trusted companion next to her, she felt so alive. And then, out of nowhere, a huge gust of wind appeared and disappeared just as quickly, taking with it her black notebook. In the blink of an eye it was gone. For a moment, Sadie was upset. And then she realized she did not need it to be happy. It had been a great crutch to help her stabilize her life, but it was no longer necessary. If she felt the need to write, she could always get a new one.

Ameya was standing there on the edge of the bridge looking down to the cold water below. She had felt like she was stuck in a rut for so long, that jumping and ending it all seemed like the best choice she could make. As she stood there contemplating her decision, she was almost knocked over by a strong gust of wind. When she regained her balance, a little black notebook caught her attention. She picked it up, started thumbing through it, and was immediately captivated. After a few moments, she looked up and saw the most vivid and brilliant rainbow she had ever seen. All of a sudden she didn’t feel so alone, and for the first time in as long as she could remember, she wanted to live. She ran as fast as she could all the way home. When she got there, she sat down and read every single word that was written in the notebook. She could hardly believe it - it was like someone had read her mind and wrote the story of her life. She felt inspired and decided to write some passages of her own. And just like had happened with Sadie, her burdens were lifted and she felt so much lighter. That night she shared all that had unfolded with her best friend, Sophie. Her friend was thrilled that Ameya had gotten some relief, and especially grateful that she had not ended her life. Sophie was an amateur journalist and asked Ameya if she’d be willing to help her do a story about the power of journaling and Ameya immediately agreed. She asked if it could be a televised story so that she could thank the owner of the little black notebook. Sophie agreed that would be a powerful and honoring story and worked with her team to make it happen.

A few nights later, Sadie just happened to have her television on as she prepared dinner. It’s not something she normally did, but as fate would have it, the channel it was on was airing the news. She looked up just as Ameya held up the black notebook, sharing how it had helped save her life. She was in such shock and disbelief that she dropped the plate she was holding. Once she regained her composure, she contacted the news station. She shared that she was the owner of the little black notebook and that she wanted to meet Ameya. Her request was granted and she was given Ameya’s phone number. She reached out and they agreed to meet the very next day.

Sadie arrived at the beach first. A few minutes later, she recognized Ameya and ran to embrace her. There was an immediate connection between the two of them and they both began crying and laughing and sharing stories. They were so filled with joy that they completely lost track of time. Before they knew it, the sun was beginning to set - they had spent the entire day at the beach cultivating their new friendship. They decided to go grab a bite, and then return to make a bonfire on the beach. They still had so much more to talk about.

After dinner, they went for a refreshing swim in the ocean before building a fire. They both felt so alive and inspired. They knew that there was a reason they had both experienced such suffering and also a reason that they had transcended their darkest hours - and that reason was to be of service. They realized that their stories, pain, pasts, and traumas created an avenue in which they could deliver more love into the world. Without their experiences, they would not be able to relate to others and have developed such deep love and compassion. For their valleys taught them what their summits could not. And so their passion project, Peaks and Valleys: A Reclamation of Wholeness, was born.

They pitched their idea to publisher after publisher, only to be turned down over and over again. The market was already saturated with notebooks, journals, and self-help books; they were told it would be impossible for them to stand out and make any sort of impact . They could not be defeated that easily though. They knew they had to bring their vision to life. And so they decided to do things their own way and follow their hearts versus traditional ways of building businesses. Their focus was on people, not profit. They wanted others to know that they were not alone and that their lives mattered - that their so-called darkness was to be celebrated just as much as their light because it was all so necessary. Their mission was to deliver people back to their wholeness so that they could embrace all of life and freely share their gifts with the world. It started with little black notebooks filled with writing prompts, inspiration, and encouragement. They developed an interactive website where they shared stories, helpful resources, and personal journal pages, as well as a monthly subscription filled with other goodies. They rode the wave of initial media exposure and created in-person workshops where they could work in more intimate environments with participants. Their company grew by word-of-mouth and soon they were on a traveling tour sharing at schools, prisons, conventions, hospitals, and anywhere that would have them. They collaborated with many others and were able to expand their offerings through different creative avenues - art, music, festivals, circles, food, health, and housing. It all unfolded so naturally and before they knew it, their suffering had been transformed into a multi-million dollar empire and countless lives were enriched and liberated. They circulated most of their profits back into service projects, rebuilding thriving, connected, and truly sustainable communities. It all started with getting their thoughts out on paper. Those words held power and were able to create an entirely different experience of life through acceptance, surrender, and a willingness to live heart-centered and in service to the highest good of all beings. And the feelings of peace, contentment, and fulfillment, as well as the abundance in all areas of life, were beautiful by-products.