Tag: courage

The Single Most Powerful Prayer.

Father Thomas Keating once shared that the most powerful prayer in the human language is a single word – ‘help’. And yet, all too often we fail to oblige its presence – fearful that our need may be viewed as weakness. Instead, we create a barricade to protect our heart – hardened by the circumstances of our past hesitations and failure.

In doing so, we begin to draw away, to isolate from that which is needed most of all – an acceptance of our humanity.

We are broken, every single one of us. And our fate, subsequently uncertain. It’s only when we relinquish these illusions of control that we may begin to appreciate a sense of trust formed only when the mind is fully present. To live, as described in the ancient buddhist texts, absent the anxiety of our own imperfection.

When we ask for help, we are asking for acceptance. What we fail to realize is that it’s already there. That this brokenness, itself, is what helps us to flourish.

“Just as we open and heal the body by sensing its rhythms and touching it with a deep and kind attention,” Jack Kornfield writes, “so too can we heal other dimensions of our being.”

And, through the utterance of that simple prayer – ‘help’ – we begin to make room for a new hope to arise.

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❣

The Journey of Courage.

During a retreat entitled “Three Steps to Courage” Pema Chödrön spoke about the complexity of  escalating emotion; that we must learn to embrace our feelings with both patience and compassion. To engage them directly, beyond cursory awareness and deeply into their source.

But even for the most seasoned of practioners, this can prove a difficult challenge. Because, with each new experience we are carried closer to the sharpness of our own truth.

Likewise, it presumes a depth of integrity, an authenticity not typically known. One that invites a  continuous cycle, of letting go in order to receive.

“When Trungpa Rinpoche taught about fear,” Ani Pema reminds, “he very clearly said that the only way to experience fearlessness was to know the nature of fear, that fear was not something that we got rid of or that we cast out, but something that we became very intimate with, and came to know so well that the journey of knowing fear, moving closer to fear, was in fact the journey of courage, the journey of bravery.”

Though our thoughts, at times, may confuse – it is not without purpose. When we learn to welcome not as distraction, but rather – a means to discover….that is when we begin to know our freedom.

In peace, sweet friends…

Namaste ❣

An Ode to Joy.

No matter what we have faced in our lives, my loves… joy is always there, waiting for our arrival.

From where we can, we must return – and this is our return to home,  effected through the sense of wonderment and courage.

Whether the sound of rustling leaves, or the scent of fresh biscuits rising for dinner – we are continuously reminded of this invitation to be made whole.

“Live in joy,” the Buddha teaches. And with this, we must learn to step away from our fear – however briefly – to honor the prospect of our own renewal.

Yes, we need to navigate with grace and dignity; to the self within, and the self that is world. This temple surrounds no matter our worry.

In the end, only our mantra – ‘we are, we are’.

In peace, my sweet friends – Happy Christmas and blessings to all.

Namaste ❣️

The Lesson of Leaf.

“Wrapped within young leaves,” Soseki writes, “is the sound of water.”

This delicate observation reminds us of our inherent nature; one comprised of hope, trust and boundless resilience. Infused throughout each aspect of our unfolding.

Like the tender leaf, we bend and reach – “if only”, we plead. Struggling for that narrowed patch of sun hoping soon to break free.

It’s a mistake to assume we exist just as one. From seed to sapling to towering Birch, we embody the essence of all encouraged.

Even the far off sound of a trickling stream shares its imprint – one of life, of longing, and infinite courage.

In peace, my sweet friends…I love you all.

Namaste ❣️

The Mirror of Our Surroundings.

There’s so much going on in this world today, it’s difficult to know where to begin. Each day, we witness the calamities of this earth – both natural and by human hand. War, poverty…political dissent. Even our oceans, representing the very life force of this planet, are now riddled with waste. Contaminated beyond recognition.

And, our response given the criticality of these events? To build walls, reinforce our borders and fine those responsible.

But, do these actions speak to the source of our troubles? And, more importantly – do they help to offset the severity of our ‘crime’?

Sadly, this analogy extends to the circumstances of our life; the actions we take serving to cover the deeper work yet to be done.

Our initial reaction is to blame; to determine a fault outside of our own. We may deflect, defer – or cower when pressed. But in the end, it is only through our actions that we may ultimately begin to heal and grow.

The earth is just one of our many mirrors – the patterns of mind offering their influence.

What we see, in many cases, is what we project. And, the ancillary to that which we believe to be image. “How could *they* let this happen?” we might ask, as responsibility hangs delicately in balance.

Perhaps, it’s just too big to touch what lies beneath?

There is a saying: we are triggered by that ‘work yet to be done’. That single realization helps to forge new pathways of understanding; shifting the vast burden and anomalies of this earth, safely between these two hands. The same hands which steadfastly cling are also the ones which ultimately let go.

Think about that today, my friends – as you see, touch, breathe in and engage the true source of this human experience.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

The Capacity of Our Courage.

My father used to say that we are empowered by our choices; that no man is without the benefit of courage.

Yet, all too often, we feel courage to be beyond our means. We stretch, we reach – hoping to elicit the strength of its external form.

And when we fear, we assume it’s gone; a weakness of character and a faltering of heart. Though nothing could be further from the truth. For courage builds only when our fortitude is tested.

Courage is that silence force beckoning us to begin; leading to that next adventure, from one moment to the next. It can be powerfully strong, lending its roar. Or a graceful knowing strength, steadfast in its approach to glory.

Just like the sun, it shines on and on; it is the movement within the clouds and the calm before the storm.

We may feel vulnerable, of course…but we shall always grow.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

Becoming Our Courage.

In her book, Daring Greatly, author Brene Brown discusses vulnerability as a ‘willingness to be seen’.

Though, so often we view as a point of weakness – an admission to the fault of our own insecurities. We recoil at the mere thought of anything ‘less than’ – exhausting all efforts to make ‘right’ again.

And yet, when we are vulnerable – we stand fully alone; relinquishing the armaments of our tired, tattered soul, abandoning all structures which limit our view.

“How long are we going to resist putting on our hat of truth?” Thich Nhat Hanh inquires. “How long can we stand feeling so unsafe just to maintain the illusion of safety…?”

In our letting go, we become the greater measure of our courage.

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❤️

That Which We Will.

Just out of high school, I agreed to run a great race; through the mountains of Kunia – a half marathon – in support of a local charity.

Though, truth be told, I can’t imagine what compelled me. Thirteen miles? I’d never been further than one.

But, there I was – suddenly committed; and any joy in my service now displaced by a looming dread.

In the weeks leading up to the event, I began to train; I ate well, hydrated and got plenty of sleep. And yet, the road ahead seemed endless.

Finally, at the end of a long practice run – I broke down into tears. “That’s it – I give up; I quit!” I remember saying to a friend.

And, knowing my heart, she smiled and said, “How can you give up before the race has even started?”

At first, I was furious. Had she not just witnessed my efforts? The hours expended to secure a ‘noteworthy’ pace?

“You’ll never succeed where the heart is unwilling?” she said.

There are certain points in my life, where I can look back and say – that was a defining moment. For me, her words lifted an energy that had been self-created.

I started my journey with doubt and insecurity. I trained through the growing animosity. And when I took to the trail, I carried all of that with me.

Though, after our talk – that burden lifted. The next morning, I stretched my legs and began, once again. For the first time I was ‘there’ without expectation. The road opened before me, and I let my breath define my pace.

Sometimes, we can become so easily overwhelmed by the magnitude of our circumstances; so much so, that we ‘fail’ before we begin.

Or, worse yet – we refuse to begin.

Though, peace can only truly find us when our hearts are ‘open like the sky.’ I mean, in the end, isn’t it – that which we will?

A little something to consider, my friends – a morning musing over coffee.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

On Learning to Fly.

I remember the first movies I ever saw as a child; “Superman” starring Christopher Reeve. I left the theater feeling I could fly, quickly fashioning a cape out of my new spring jacket.

As we made our way home, I couldn’t stop staring upwards at the sky. If one simple farm boy could learn to fly, then what of the rest of us?

It was first I’d felt of my boundless potential. Suddenly, the stars seemed each within reach. There was neither a tree too high, nor a stream too deep.

In the days to follow, though I noticed something else – knowing my potential, I felt an immeasurable courage.

This is why we need joy in our lives; stories of rising above in the wake of absolute disaster. With these stories, we are reminded — there are no absolutes save the ‘truth’ we have created.

People often tell me it’s hard to engage peace; though, I will always disagree. In truth, perhaps we are looking too closely within and losing the benefit of humanity’s aperture?

We forget that we are boundless, loving, infinite beings – who can take to the skies with a single, cape-driven leap.

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❤

Is Vulnerability a Weakness or a Strength?

In many societies, vulnerability is viewed as a weakness of spirit – something to be disparaged, rather than encouraged. Even from the youngest of age, we are taught taught to ‘be strong’ – to find our fortitude and resilience.

“You’re a big boy now,” a father might say. In our minds, we associate this moment as one of censure and withholding. As a child, we draw our lip. Though, as an adult, we withhold our truth as the bully ‘ego’ moves in.

In time, we become paralyzed through this paradigm of living fully within our fear. We lose faith in these subtle, yet far greater aspects of self.

Acclaimed author and Jungian analyst Robert Johnson, describes how difficult it is for us to embrace our potential.

“Curiously,” he writes, “people resist the noble aspects of their shadow more strenuously than they hide the dark sides…” Just as a child fighting back the tears, we struggle to acknowledge the entirety of our own spirit.

In reality, it takes great courage to stand in the light of our own vulnerability – to ‘speak our truth fearlessly’, as author Jack Kornfield once said.

As the heart is calmed, we begin to realize that inevitably our vulnerability is both the means and the way.

A little something to consider, my friends.

In peace…

Namaste ❤