I happened upon a most beautiful word the other day. As a writer, you can imagine my excitement upon this magnificent discovery.

The word is “hiraeth” – a Welsh word, whose meaning is elusive in many different languages. Though, for many of us here – we instinctively know.

Often translated as an intense longing, though, in reality – its meaning is far more complex. As, it incorporates a much deeper spiritual aspect.

To feel hiraeth is to experience a sense of incompleteness…a profound yearning born from the very recesses of our soul.

Something, we’ve all experienced – I know.

Close your eyes and feel it with me – think of those far off places that have yet to be explored. The dreamer in you is calling – at first a whisper, a gentle urge…until that ‘call’ is all that can be heard.

My darlings, we are all born with this yearning within – driving us forward, and into those places we most fear.

It wakes us from our darkest sleep, pulls back those sheers and lets our heart awaken.

It’s hiraeth which beckons our soul to come ‘home’ ~ and, today my darlings, hiraeth is the word I love most of all ~

“Hiraeth beckons with wordless call,
Hear, my soul, with heart enthrall’d.
Hiraeth whispers while earth I roam;
Here I wait the call “come home.”

Like seagull cry, like sea borne wind,
That speak with words beyond my ken,
A longing deep with words unsaid,
Calls a wanderer home instead.

I heed your call, Hiraeth, I come
On westward path to hearth and home.
My path leads on to western shore,
My heart tells me there is yet more.

Within my ears the sea air sighs;
The sunset glow, it fills my eyes.
I stand at edge of sea and earth,
My bare feet washed in gentle surf.

Hiraeth’s longing to call me on,
Here, on shore, in setting sun.
Hiraeth calls past sunset fire,
“Look beyond, come far higher!” – Unknown

An American journalist who had been following Gandhi’s work for years, once asked, “Can you tell me the secret of your life in three words?”

Not being able to resist the challenge, Gandhi smiled and offered, “Yes…Renounce and enjoy!”

Such a simple proposition, yes? And, yet? How often do we allow ourselves to get whisked away, our minds falling into that precipice of ‘wishing to leave it all behind’?

We struggle within our day to day. Whether by way of self-imposed tasking, or more simply — traffic that’s never ending, one thing is clear:

My goodness, we need a break.

And so, we sit upon our ‘meditation cushion’ — wondering why our lives seem never changing.

It brought to mind Thich Nhat Hanh’s training on mindful consumption:

“Many of us think that happiness comes from consuming something, from bringing something from outside into us, but in fact, happiness comes from inside. When we can remove the materials of anger, violence, hatred, and despair from our souls, then happiness will open like a lotus flower, or like a rose. The happiness of a flower does not come from outside, the happiness of a flower comes from inside the flower, and our happiness is the same.”

So often we think of happiness as an external condition. That is to say, ‘if only’ we could change just this one thing – then, we could truly be happy.

But, happiness is never external to self, my friends — rather, it is a mind state which nourishes the soul. When we are able to interact mindfully with our surroundings, to create the conditions by which we may manifest positive intentions throughout –my darlings, that is when we will finally know the energy of a true and lasting peace.

Though, in order to nurture these roots of happiness, to find clarity of purpose — we must be willing to let it all go. To relinquish those things which keep us so foolishly tethered.

“The Buddha said that it’s greed, not anger, that keeps us on the wheel.” shares Tenzin Palmo. “Nobody’s chaining us down: we’re clinging on with both hands…We have to cultivate contentment with what we have. We really don’t need much. When you know this, the mind settles down. Cultivate generosity. Delight in giving. Learn to live lightly. In this way, we can begin to transform what is negative into what is positive.”

My darlings, this is how we learn to grow. Much like the Lotus flower, our happiness is formed from within.

A little something to consider on this day, my friends ~ a reflection on that which forces the Lotus’ bloom.