The Upper Limit

Navigating the Dance of Expansion & Contraction

May 29, 2026

For the last few days, I’ve been in one of those spaces where I’m holding on to everything in my life a little too tightly.

There’s been an undertone of anxiousness, a familiar voice that asks, “What if it doesn’t work out the way that I’d hoped? What if things don’t go my way?” You might say I’ve come down with a mild case of spiritual amnesia and have forgotten just how blessed I am, and how much of my life has been working out in my favour, especially of late.

In fact, exactly two weeks ago I had one of the best days I’ve had in a long time. I literally had two dream come true conversations and opportunities land within an hour of each other. And to top it off, all of this occurred right as I was about to embark on a week-long immersion in studio, recording new music and doing one of my absolute favourite things to do on earth.

That experience ended up being one of the most effortless and enjoyable I’ve had to date. I was relaxed, at ease and in full trust. I was confident and at the top of my game in a way that felt new, and things flowed seamlessly. And best of all, we managed to bring to life something that’s been on my heart and whispering in my creative consciousness for a very long time.

I was high on life, in the pocket, and the momentum was building.

And then, just like that, without any obvious cause or warning, my bliss bubble burst and I found myself slowly but surely descending from my elevated state of grace.

So what happened?

Well, nothing really happened… on the surface. And yet, something significant definitely happened internally that is worth exploring and unpacking.

In essence, I hit an upper limit.

I experienced an expansion of what I thought was possible. I tasted the fruits of my labour. I got a big breath of fresh air at a new altitude, and I eventually self-sabotaged and got disconnected from the pulse of all that was going right and happening for me.

Sound familiar?

I met the edge of what I could hold in terms of how good it can get and what’s possible and eventually, all of the usual suspects showed up to rain on the parade.

Resistance. Scarcity. Unworthiness. Guilt. Control. Mistrust. Doubt.

As I wrestled with these different and seemingly unwelcome energies, I found myself grasping to hold on to what I had touched into. The more I resisted the backslide, the more it intensified. The tighter my grip became, the faster things seemed to be slipping through my fingers.

Despite being in it, I was aware of what was happening and so, I did what I know to do. I doubled down on my practices, I prayed for clarity and guidance, I journaled and meditated on it, I leaned into my support system and I did my best to zoom out and gain some perspective.

And then, lo and behold, before long, the clouds parted and I could see it all so clearly.

I saw the exact moment where the switch flipped and all my old, familiar thought patterns and narratives started to sneakily creep in. I saw the absurdity of it all in high definition.

It all made perfect sense. Logically. Rationally.

The natural ebb and flow of things. The contraction following the expansion. The importance of not getting too attached to outcomes. The magnetism of the state I was in when things were rolling as opposed to the vibe of grasping, trying to control and ensure things would go my way. The difference between living in trust and faith versus letting doubt, worry and mistrust colour my perceptions.

I know all of this conceptually and have even logged some solid miles practicing and embodying this wisdom.

And yet, I still ended up losing my footing as the reality of the experience unfolded. I stumbled and was humbled.

Here’s the thing that I certainly didn’t want to hear at first but that’s an essential lesson from this experience:

This wasn’t a mistake. I didn’t do anything wrong. Nothing “bad” happened.

I was actually gifted the perfect opportunity to see where I still have room to grow in embodying the wisdom and understanding I described. Life delivered on its promise to help me do just that and God orchestrated the exact unfolding I needed in order to meet myself where I was at. To meet my edges experientially and to feel my way through them into an expanded, more integrated version of me that can actually hold this next level of opportunity and reality without collapsing.

Seen through this lens, my sense and perception of the whole experience changes. I am able to better receive and harvest the lesson. Gratitude returns and I can appreciate the unfolding in all its magnificence - the rise, the peak, the fall, the low, and all the ins and outs in between.

It was all necessary. Unavoidable even. And as I emerge from this tunnel and my connection to the pulse of my creative hero’s journey returns, I can honestly say I’m better for it.

I’ve been viscerally reminded to loosen my grip, to let go of control and let God lead the way. I’m in direct contact with the places and parts in me that needed to strengthen in faith and trust. And most of all, I’m once again being invited into the knowing that all is well, even amidst the challenges. That it’s all path, all fuel for creation, all part of the ongoing expansion and becoming that will continue as long as I’m alive.

And with that awareness at the forefront, I can breathe a little easier. I can feel myself blessing and releasing all the things I’ve been tightly holding onto out of fear. I can rest more in the knowing that God is working for me, with me, through me and in me. I can open more to the current of Life that is happening for me, even when it seems that things aren’t going the way I thought they should. And I can return to cultivating the thing that matters most, my inner experience of Peace beyond understanding and Joy that nothing can take away.

Much love,
Chris

This Week’s Music Medicine:
If you’d like to go a little deeper on these themes, here’s some music medicine to go along with this message and support your inner alchemy. I recommend setting the mood with a candle and some of your favourite incense, listening with headphones and keeping a journal nearby so you can write any insights, reflections and inspiration that come up for you.

Both of these songs were born of initiations such as the one I wrote about here, during big expansions. They are woven with a common thread of strengthening our ability to trust, letting go of control and letting the Divine plan unfold, using our imagination to focus on what’s possible instead of what we fear, and ultimately, remembering that we are always being guided and provided for.