“In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.
For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.
It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered,
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.
Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.
Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life's desire.
Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.”
- John O’Donohue
Do you remember a time when after a monotonous period of your life, you made a change and that energy and spark reappeared in your soul?
After nearly three years in recovery I’ve gained a new appreciation and overarching gratitude for my struggles. I have come to realize that without the immense pain and undeniable unhappiness, I would not have changed my life.
Life has a way of keeping us within our monotonous rhythms. These ‘rhythms’, whether they are a steady career/job, the location we live in, our interests, friends and so on, can create an unconscious pattern of habits and behaviours. Once they are ingrained in us, they become safe and comfortable.
There is a certain level of polarity within the safety of our patterns. We want to change something or try something new, but are usually met with fear and discomfort. The fear and discomfort signal to us that we should return to safety.
But what is the purpose of our life? To remain in comfortability or to grow and truly experience the gifts of life?
When I look back at my life I’ve realized that my greatest gifts and periods of growth all began with listening to my “out-of-the-way places of the heart” and not only pushing past the discomfort, but embracing it. This is a stark realization but also a comforting one. To know that the moments of fear and uncomfortability attached to change mean I am LIVING life the way the Divine intended me to.
This poem came at a paramount moment of my life…which is hardly a coincidence. We all have the ability to trust in the promise of our hearts and deserve to experience the awakening of our soul. To feel the wonder, awe, inspiration and adventure that awaits us.
What is the new horizon in you that wants to be seen?
With Love,
The Way
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