We spend so much of life searching. For answers. For belonging. For peace.

That search can take us to wonderful places — nature, community, teachers, and practices that guide us. Yet I’m reminded of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. She journeyed far, faced fears, and grew stronger with her companions. All to have Glinda the Good Witch inform her at the end: “You’ve always had the power, my dear. You’ve had it all along.”

The lesson: we already hold within us what we seek. But, like Dorothy, we often need the journey to help us realize it for ourselves.

Which takes me to this weekend (and the truly transformative retreat I hope all of you can join next year). I opened a meditation with the Adi Mantra from the Kundalini tradition:

Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo

I bow to the creative consciousness, the divine teacher within.

It’s a north star phrase, one that can help us find our way home. The world offers inspiration and guidance. But the deepest source is closer than we think — the quiet voice of knowing inside.

Yet our modern world is a master at keeping us looking outward. More books, more workshops, more practices — even more spiritual pursuits. They enrich us greatly — but they are not replacements for what is already here.

It made me think of those moments when you open a set of instructions and the first step simply says: Start Here. What if, in the practice of wellbeing, our instructions always began with Start Here — in ourselves? The chant reminds me that our starting point isn’t somewhere “out there.” It’s in the divine light within.

Here’s to you remembering that your greatest guide and brightest light has always been right here, within.