Tag: courage

Out Beyond the “Not Ever Knowing.”

[blockquote source=”Anais Nin”]”And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”[/blockquote]

I’ve often wondered this feeling, my loves. The one in which we stand boldly at the crossroads between complacency and our own ‘most exquisite risk’.

Which path might we choose? What hardships might come? Thoughts fade into the last light of day, as indecision becomes our heaviest cloak.

And yet, deep within, there is this indisputable stirring; a sense that out beyond this space of not-knowing, Purpose waits for us with gilded wing.

For me, these moments have always been predicated by a much greater life challenge; ones that have helped me forge the patience, fortitude and resilience so very much needed.

But, much like the flower’s bloom, we tend to cling tightly to the only comfort we have ever really known, the coziness of this ‘closed off’ space.

Until one day, when we are suddenly made aware, that ‘risk to remain a bud’ far exceeds the fear of our own unfolding.

“Return to yourself, to who you are, here and now and when you get there, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong.”  ― Masaru Emoto

For the first time we are cradled by the full warmth of the sun, and we wonder:

How on earth, we might have ever survived so long without it.

 

Softening to the Way.

I was reading a poem this morning, entitled The Epic of Gilgamesh. Written nearly four thousand years ago, it’s teachings are still relevant today – timeless in their ability to remind us of just what it means to be human.

“Gilgamesh, whither are you wandering? Life, which you look for, you will never find.”

The story begins with an introduction to Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk – born two-thirds god, and one third man. As a ruler, Gilgamesh was an invincible tyrant – cruel beyond all measure. He lorded over his subjects, causing them insufferable hardship and pain.

When the gods learned of his subjects’ pleadings, they created the wild man, Enkidu – perhaps, in hopes of keeping the mighty Gilgamesh ‘in check.’

Outraged by these stories of savagery and excess, Enkidu travels to Uruk to challenge him – certain that no one, not even the mighty Gilgamesh, could defeat him.

The two men engage in a heated battle, until Gilgamesh finally emerges victorious. As the story is told, Enkidu concedes to Gilgamesh – and, the two become inseparable friends.

Until the day when Enkidu takes ill.  When he finally dies, Gilgamesh is heartbroken.

It is the first time he has faced the reality of being human.

In his arrogance, Gilgamesh demands to see The Immortal One – wishing only to bring his dear friend back to life. A seer provides Gilgamesh with his vision – that of a long journey, with secret stones laid carefully along his path to guide him. The stones were to be provided to the ferryman for his voyage, but – when Gilgamesh stumbles on the stones, he smashes them in anger. When he is asked for the stones, he has nothing to give – a metaphor for the very way in which he had lived his life. That is to say,

We often break that which we need most of all.

A brilliant summary of the tale occurs in Mark Nepo’s book, “The Book of Awakening” in which he offers,

“In his blindness of heart he broke everything he needed to discover his way. With the same confusion, we too break what we need, push away those we love, and isolate ourselves when we need to be held most.”

Indeed, in my own life – I can recall countless tales of my own confusion. And, as Mark so eloquently desribes, “in the frenzy of my own isolation, like Gilgamesh, I have smashed the very window I was trying to open.”

When Gilgamesh returns to the city, he is empty handed but full of heart.

You see, my darlings – in the end, it’s always the journey which softens us to fear.

“Gilgamesh, fill your belly. Day and night make merry. Let days be full of joy, dance and make music day and night. Look at the child that is holding your hand, and let your wife delight in your embrace. These things alone are the concern of men.”

My goodness, what a most beautiful reminder…we live, we breathe, we bend, we break…but, we always seem to find our way back to center, once again.

 

 

The Promise of Yes.

“For all the girls with messy hair and thirsty hearts.” – Jodi Lynn Anderson

There is a voice within us all, my darlings. Listen closely, can you hear it?

It takes its fuel from our ‘leaves and roots’ – while once faint whispers build to deafening roar. And, marking clearly this path ahead from the one we leave behind.

“Yes…”

Our journey is not one of indecision, my darlings. Rather, it is painstakingly constructed upon the cobblestones of Yes – proudly forged in all those moments that ‘we did so, anyway.’

Look closely. There…can you see it?

Your story is etched upon these cobbled stones, my loves. Every instance you’ve muscled forward, every moment you’ve taken your place to stand proudly amongst those naysayers.

It’s all right here, my darlings – lovingly inscribed with this energy of Yes.

And though, at times, we may feel alone – rest assured, she is always right there for us. Like a shadow pinned to the light, she follows us everywhere.

Waiting at the crossroads of our journey, a promise of hope wrapped within this embrace of Yes.

Having the Courage to See.

[blockquote source=”Nisargadatta Maharaj”]

“Absolute perfection is here and now, not in some future, near or far. The secret is in action – here and now.

It is your behavior that blinds you to yourself.

Disregard whatever you think yourself to be and act as if you were absolutely perfect – whatever your idea of perfection may be. All you need is courage.”[/blockquote]

My darlings, one of my most favorite passages from Nisargadatta Maharaj – a reflection on this fundamental truth, that the warmth of our light can not ever be extinguished.

Our ‘perfection’ exists by way of our being – a miraculous gathering of spiritual ‘dust’, embodied in this most beautiful physical form.

As author, Eckhart Tolle so brilliantly reminds us – we are the Universe expressing itself as ‘human’ for a little while.

And all we ever need…is the courage to see.

Disregard whatever you think yourself to be, and step into the perfection that is you.

I promise you’ll not be disappointed, my loves ~

When We Learn to Let Go.

[blockquote source=”C. JoyBell C.”]“The day I understood everything, was the day I stopped trying to figure everything out. The day I knew peace was the day I let everything go.” [/blockquote]

When asked how she managed to maintain such calmness of heart, Buddhist Nun, Chan Tung Nghiem (Sister Pine), lovingly replied,

“It is by keeping in mind what I really want.”

There is such simplicity in her response, and yet – when we ask this question of ourselves, there is a bit of tenderness which surrounds it.

“What will they think of me?”

“What if I fail?”

What if…what if…what if…?

Oh, my dearest darlings, can’t you see the endlessness in these ‘what if’ scenarios?

As we look out into this world, we notice how it continually changes. Where there is success, there is failure; where there is love, there is loss; where there happiness, there is the emptiness of profound sorrow.

And, through it all our emotional little heart responds. Through the multitude of twists and turns, through life’s upsets and unsettledness – these waves of emotions share no refuge, nor rest.

How can we be expected to find our footing, when our whole world is continuously shifting?

By keeping in mind what we really want. And, by doing everything with a mind that lets go.

We must make a choice, whether consciously or subconsciously – to ‘water the seeds’ of mindfulness. As Sister Pine further elaborated,

“I have to be in touch, to be mindful, to know (as Thay always says) what is going on in me and around me, so I can choose the life-enhancing, more pleasant option.  That’s what I mean by keeping in mind what I really want.”

Indeed, by keeping in mind what we really want, we begin to live the life we’ve always dreamed.

And, my darlings, that often requires the greatest amount of courage.

Having the Courage to Begin Again.

[blockquote source=”Sara Teasdale”]“Life has loveliness to sell,
All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children’s faces looking up,
Holding wonder like a cup.” [/blockquote]

Each morning we are born again. A brand new set of untarnished moments, beckoning for the gift of our awareness.

“The chief beauty about time is that you cannot waste it in advance.”

Every minute of every hour, handed freely to our charge. No expectations, no worries, no clinging ties to burdens or pains. No limits.

Only the hope that we may begin again.

The morning light hides no shadows, and yet—it offers the grace of forgiveness, unyielding to the temptation of ‘what might of been.’

It’s a new day to begin again—light breaks its bold patterns before me, as gratitude follows me like a shadow.

“Come now,” she calls out, “There’s no place for these ‘yester-fears'”

I smile, nodding my consent; this new day, she knows me well. Much like a puppy waiting at the door, it doesn’t matter how long we’ve been away, it’s always;

“You’re back!! How wonderful…I’ve missed you!! Now, lets go…”

And, with one tail-wriggling moment of happiness, our purpose in this life is reaffirmed – to dance, to smile, to giggle, and marvel over this amazing new day before us.

So here it is for you, my darlings – this precious gift yet untouched by the burden of worry.With 86,400 deliciously wrapped reasons to begin living the life you’ve always dreamed.

whispers, “so what’s it going to be?”

Will you stand frozen at the threshold of these self-imposed fears, or,

Will you have the courage to begin again?

“Life has loveliness to sell,
All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children’s faces looking up,
Holding wonder like a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell,
Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit’s still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.

Spend all you have for loveliness,
Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstasy
Give all you have been, or could be.”
― Sara Teasdale

Taking Courage in Both Hands.

In his foreword to Courage in Both Hands, a collection of stories about non-violent heroes, Allan Hunter wrote:

“The highest and most important thing in us and in those we oppose is the capacity to see goodness and become part of it.”

He was speaking to the inherent generosity of the human spirit; that which has the capacity to transcend the limits of circumstance. It deepens our awareness to social injustices and suffering; urging us to take action even when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds.

It is this generosity of spirit which connects us, carrying forward understanding in the place of fear.

And yet, when faced with difficult situations, we instinctively react to the emotion of ‘past’ – past burden, past insecurity, and past pain.

It’s all this past which pulls us from the presence of ‘now’ – stealing away the one chance we may have to heal.

The Buddha once offered, “Greater in battle than the man who would conquer a thousand-thousand men, is he who would conquer just one—himself.” It’s the dilemma we face each and everyday, whether to respond in kind with like energy – or, rather to make those choices which soon become the legacy of our human spirit.

Do we continue to protect our ‘soft spot’, as Pema Chödrön might say. Or, do we take a leap of faith into the unknown? An ‘unarmored heart’ is a frightening proposition, indeed. But, it’s only when we are able to lay down those arms – that the true progress may finally begin.

Perhaps, to ‘take courage in both hands’ implies a much deeper meaning?

That is to say, to have courage enough for both ‘me’ and another?

Leaning Into the Spirit of Discovery.

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” ― Plato

When I was a little girl, my father moved us to a house in the country. And though, it was such a beautiful setting – I have to admit, that initially I was quite intimidated by my surroundings.

The woods were vast and deep, and I – at just barely 4 years-old – feared that I may become forever lost inside.

But, with each new day I forged through – until one day, those woods became my most trusted friend.

Oh, and I discovered such incredible things on my many explorations.

I found boulders the size of houses, leaves that turned to silver in water. Oh, and there were massive trees, as well! Too tall for climbing – but, with the most perfect of ‘swinging vines.’

And, to this day, I am so ever-grateful – grateful I found the boldness to venture inward.

You know, I often wonder, what my life may have been had I simply run away?

Oh, and it would have been so very easy, too.

But, running away from this half of the experience – would have robbed me of my path to peace.

Sometimes, we must find our own way through.

My dears, all emotion – including, that which we may label as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – contains within it, a ‘mirror like’ wisdom. And, it is only through our willingness to stay – to pay attention to the details of our discomfort – that we gain access to our most authentic self. In this way, these emotions serve as ‘guideposts’, if you will ~ to help us better navigate our journey to self.

And, just as we must learn to navigate this earth as “fearless explorers” – so too, must we adopt the same courage as we begin to look within.

In pressing through my fear, I discovered the most invaluable aspect of my human existence – that is, the beauty of this earth is defined by the heart that can ‘see’.

And, perhaps more importantly – that a head full of fears leaves no place for dreams.

The Explorer by Rudyard Kipling

“There’s no sense in going further —
it’s the edge of cultivation,”
So they said, and I believed it —
broke my land and sowed my crop —
Built my barns and strung my fences
in the little border station
Tucked away below the foothills
where the trails run out and stop.

Till a voice, as bad as Conscience,
rang interminable changes
In one everlasting Whisper
day and night repeated — so:
“Something hidden. Go and find it.
Go and look behind the Ranges —
Something lost behind the Ranges.
Lost and waiting for you. Go!”

So, come with me, my loves ~ and let is lean softly into the spirit of discovery.