The Rhythm of Unbecoming:
Three sacred lessons from the jungle: how patience, expansion, and intuition guide women toward their most authentic becoming.
There is a specific kind of silence that only exists in the heart of the jungle. It is not the absence of sound, as the canopy is alive with the hum of cicadas, the distant bark of howler monkeys, and the rhythmic pulse of the Pacific crashing against the shore. Rather, it is a silence of the soul. It is the quiet that arrives when the noise of “doing” finally drops away, leaving only the raw, unfiltered reality of “being.”
I recently returned from Costa Rica, a land that has become sacred geography in my own transformation. Years ago, this was the place where I walked the Labyrinth—a physical and spiritual journey that changed the trajectory of my life. That first trip was about the “shove.” It was the catalyst that gave me the courage to walk away from a six-figure corporate ownership role and stop living a life that was successful on paper but hollow on the inside.
This time, the trip was different. It wasn’t a catalyst; it was a confirmation. It wasn’t about the “shove”; it was about the “softening.”
Between the vibrant greenery, the staggering simplicity of daily life, and the ubiquitous rhythm of Pura Vida, I found myself deep in the “Human Curriculum.” I realized that Costa Rica doesn’t just offer a vacation; it offers a mirror.
Here are the three deep lessons I brought back from this trip—lessons I believe are essential for any woman standing on the threshold of her own becoming.
Lesson One: Patience
I don’t speak Spanish as fluently as I would like. On previous trips, that might have sparked frustration or a need to “power through” the barrier. But this time, the language gap became my greatest teacher. Simple conversations required more than words; they required presence. I had to watch facial expressions, listen to cadence, and most importantly—I had to slow down.
I realized that in our modern, high-achieving world, we treat patience as a waiting room we endure until the “real” moment begins. But patience is not passive.
Patience is an act of trust.
When we rush, we are essentially saying to life: I do not trust the timing of this moment.
In the jungle, nothing forces itself. The rain falls when it is ready. The fruit ripens in its own time. And in being required to slow down, I was reminded that we often miss the most beautiful details of our lives because we are sprinting toward the next milestone.
The lesson for you:
Where are you rushing?
Where are you trying to force timing that is not ready?
What if the delay is not a denial—but a deepening?
Lesson Two: The Expansion of the Comfort Zone
There is a paradox in being a high-performing woman. We can be bold in the boardroom, yet deeply rigid in our personal comfort zones. We return to what is familiar: routines, places, people, predictability.
But there is a specific kind of magic that happens when you realize how small your world has been—and how expansive you become when you step beyond it.
Entering a new culture reminds us that while our languages and backgrounds differ, the human heart speaks a universal dialect. I met people from entirely different walks of life, and yet the core desires were the same: to be seen, to be safe, to connect.
When we stay inside our comfort zones, our becoming flattens. We begin to believe that the way we live is the only way to live. Travel expands internal borders. It dissolves assumptions. It reminds us that there is a larger life waiting just beyond what we currently know.
The lesson for you:
Growth is not only expansion—it is willingness.
When was the last time you allowed yourself to be a beginner again?
Life is often waiting just outside the perimeter of what feels safe.
Lesson Three: Intuition Is Sourced in Calm
If my first journey to Costa Rica was about decision, this one was about direction.
There were moments when plans shifted. Things did not unfold perfectly. In the past, I would have reacted quickly—armored up, taken control, forced resolution.
But this time, I practiced the art of unbecoming.
Instead of reacting, I listened. I slowed down enough to hear what was already there.
Intuition does not shout. It hums. And it only becomes audible in stillness.
Each time I chose calm over reaction, I was guided—not through urgency, but through clarity.
As women, we are often taught to source power through doing: fixing, managing, executing. But real power is sourced in inner knowing. Calm is not passivity. Calm is clarity unclouded by fear.
The lesson for you:
Who do you need to unbecome in order to respond rather than react?
Your intuition is not missing. It is simply waiting for space.
The Return to the Labyrinth
Years ago, the Labyrinth in Costa Rica was my shove—a turning point back to myself. This recent trip reminded me that the journey does not end when you find yourself. It deepens.
I am returning to my work, my family, and my community not with more urgency, but with more clarity. Success means nothing if it costs you yourself.
A Question for Your Journey
You do not need to go to the jungle to hear your own truth.
But you do need to listen.
Where in your life are you being called to:
- Slow down and trust timing?
- Step beyond comfort and expand perspective?
- Choose calm over reaction?
You are not lost. You are not behind. You are in the middle of becoming.
Trust the rhythm. Trust Pura Vida.
