What happens when success is no longer measured by achievement, but by peace, health, authenticity, and the freedom to create?

In this episode of Poetic Resurrection, Sonia Iris Lozada reflects on how her definition of success has changed over time—from the pursuit of financial security and recognition to something quieter: having enough, protecting her health, creating freely, and choosing how she spends her time.

Inspired in part by Carl Jung’s ideas about individuation and the second half of life, Sonia considers what happens when the question shifts from “What am I going to become?” to “Who am I beneath everything I became?”

She also reads her poem “Breeze” from Inspire Me: Awakening Dreams. Through the natural cycle of blossoming, releasing, and resting, the poem becomes a reflection on something we don’t always give ourselves permission to do: recognize when a season is complete.

From completing a year of The Still Point Minute to making room for psychological science-fiction stories, better health, creative freedom, and a changing home, this episode explores the space between doing and being—and the possibility that rest is not separate from growth, but part of its cycle.

Perhaps the second half of life isn’t asking us to become more successful. Perhaps it’s asking us to become more completely ourselves.

“Breeze” appears in Inspire Me: Awakening Dreams by Sonia Iris Lozada. Book information and purchase links are available below.

Psychological reference: Carl Jung’s work on individuation and psychological development in the second half of life.

Poetic Resurrection explores poetry, creativity, psychology, spirituality, and the questions that help us better understand what it means to be human.

Get your copy of Inspire Me: Awakening Dreams.

The Letters I Never Expected to Receive

Some creative works quietly continue long after we've finished making them.

In this episode of Poetic Resurrection, I reflect on the unexpected journey of one of my most meaningful Insight Timer meditations—a meditation on grief that continues to reach listeners during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Through the messages I've received over the years, I've come to realize that we rarely know which poem, prayer, or quiet offering will become someone else's source of comfort. Creativity has a way of traveling farther than we ever imagine.

If today's conversation speaks to you, I've included links to the original Insight Timer meditation, which features my poem "Bound" and a closing prayer of affirmations, as well as the Poetic Resurrection episode where I read the poem and discuss its meaning.

Thank you for listening.

Many blessings.

Resources Insight Timer meditation featuring my poem "Bound" and a closing prayer of affirmations:

Poetic Resurrection episode featuring a reading of "Bound":

https://poeticresurrection.com/

Inspire Me: Awakening Dreams available on Amazon

A year ago, I began The Still Point Minute after the idea came to me during meditation: create one minute of stillness every day for an entire year.

At the time, it sounded simple. One minute—how difficult could that be?

As it turns out, one minute repeated every day for a year is quite a commitment. There were times when I became ill and lost my voice. There were days when motivation disappeared, the work felt overwhelming, and I honestly wondered, What the heck was I thinking?

But somewhere along the way, the project became about more than recording meditations. It became about keeping a promise I had made to myself.

We often work very hard to keep our promises to other people, yet we can be surprisingly quick to break the promises we make privately within ourselves. Completing The Still Point Minute taught me that honoring those private commitments is one of the ways we build trust in ourselves.

In this episode, I reflect on the imperfect, sometimes humorous, and deeply meaningful journey of completing the series. I also invite you into a closing meditation to recognize something you have completed—or something within you that is still asking you not to give up.

Because sometimes the accomplishment is not that everything went according to plan.

Sometimes the accomplishment is simply being able to say: I kept my word to myself.

Many Blessings.

This month's poem, Bound from Inspire Me: Awakening Dreams, explores the invisible ties that remain after loss. As Mother's Day and Father's Day passed without both of my parents, I found myself reflecting on attachment, dreams, guilt, and the quiet courage it takes to let love change form. Together we explore insights from John Bowlby, Carl Jung, and Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, discovering that healing isn't forgetting—it's allowing love to continue without holding it captive.

https://poeticresurrection.com/

Inspire Me: Awakening Dreams available on Amazon

Music by Gotama - Forgiveness and Beyond the Horizon available on Bandcamp

Change can feel exciting, unsettling, and sometimes overwhelming. In this episode of Poetic Resurrection, Sonia reflects on her poem Change and explores the challenges of navigating uncertainty in a rapidly shifting world. Drawing inspiration from Carl Jung, Pema Chödrön, and her own experiences, she discusses transformation, resilience, purpose, and learning to trust ourselves during life's transitions.

References & Further Exploration

• Carl Jung – Man and His Symbols; Memories, Dreams, Reflections
• Pema Chödrön – When Things Fall Apart
• Alan Watts – The Wisdom of Insecurity

These works explore transformation, uncertainty, resilience, and the lifelong process of becoming who we truly are.

In this episode of Poetic Resurrection, Sonia shares her poem She Moves and reflects on the emotional experience of uncertainty, collective change, and inner grounding. Blending poetic insight with gentle humor, this episode offers a calming perspective on navigating instability and reconnecting with presence.

She Moves poem is from Inspire Me: Awakening Dreams.

With subtle inspiration from Carl Jung and nature-based cycles of transformation.

• Man and His Symbols — Carl Jung A gentle introduction to Jung’s ideas on the unconscious, symbols, and inner transformation.
• The Turning Point — Fritjof Capra Explores how personal and global change are interconnected, offering a more holistic view of crisis and transformation.
• Entangled Life — Merlin Sheldrake A poetic exploration of fungi and interconnected ecosystems, revealing how deeply everything is linked beneath the surface.
• When the Forest Breathes — Suzanne Simard A reflection on resilience and renewal in nature, showing how forests regenerate through cycles of connection and support.

In this episode of Poetic Resurrection, Sonia shares her poem Important to Me—a deeply personal reflection on boundaries, emotional independence, and the journey back to self-worth.

Blending poetry, psychology, and spirituality, this episode explores how external expectations can shape identity, and how reclaiming personal truth becomes an act of healing. Sonia reflects on self-preservation, the fear that can keep us stuck, and the quiet strength required to move forward.

This episode is for anyone learning to release what no longer belongs to them and step into a life aligned with what truly matters.

REFERENCES (for show notes / blog)

• Carl Rogers — On Becoming a Person (1961)
• Bessel van der Kolk — The Body Keeps the Score (2014)
• Steven C. Hayes — A Liberated Mind (2019)
• Kristin Neff — Self-Compassion (2011)

In this episode of Poetic Resurrection, Sonia shares her poem Forgiveness and reflects on self-forgiveness as an act of compassion and love. As part of February’s Still Point Minute theme — Compassion & Love — this conversation explores how releasing self-judgment opens the door to healing, growth, and inner peace. A gentle reminder that love must include ourselves.

What You’ll Hear: • Full reading of the poem Forgiveness • Reflection on self-compassion and emotional maturity • The symbolism of “broken time” as a pause for healing • A brief guided reflection on forgiving yourself

Themes: Compassion, Love, Self-forgiveness, Emotional growth, Inner healing

Podcast: Poetic Resurrection with Sonia Iris Lozada

Music: Gotama - Forgiveness & Dissolving Dreams