At the End of Our Exploring
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
--T.S. Eliot
When we live our lives authentically, we discover our true place in the world for the first time. But this self-knowledge is not easily acquired. It takes tenacity and daring to travel to the darkest interior of one's self. Who knows what we might find there? "It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him," the writer J.R.R. Tolkien advises.
Our dragons are our fears: our day stalkers, our night sweats. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failing. Fear of starting something new and not finishing. Again. Or the real fear, the one that sends shivers up our spines: the fear of succeeding, of becoming our authentic selves and facing the changes that will inevitably bring. We might not be happy with the way we are living now, but at least it's safely familiar.
We don't know where we are headed and it's very scary. Old dreams are resurrecting, new desires are wooing. Instead of clarity, we feel confused. At moments like this, it is comforting to consider T.S. Eliot's belief that there is really nothing to fear from self-awareness because at the end of all our personal exploration, we will arrive back where we started and know in our hearts that we finally belong there.
As adults, we know how to deal with dragons hiding under beds or lurking in closets. We turn on the lights and reassure worried souls with love. We need to slay the dragons in our minds the same way.
Today, if you feel frightened or unsure about the future, pick up the double-edged sword of Light and Love. Always remember, it's simply not an adventure worth telling if there aren't any dragons. But as in the best old tales, at the end of your exploring, you will live happily ever after.
-Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance - A Daybook of Comfort and Joy©1995
This week, I am again working out of the office. With both Nancy and I working, we have had to make some adjustments with respect to who cooks dinner for whom. I am getting better at cooking as a result. At least, I think so…
We had a wonderful Valentine's Day, with each of us giving presents to the other. We also had gift bags for our daughters and my darling granddaughter, Bradli Nicole. She will be 2 next week, and is a wonder of a girl. I know, I brag about her too much. Grampa's privilege.
I had a chance to get out in the yard this last weekend, and I am looking forward to getting the flower, herb and vegetable gardens started.
I hope that this week's message finds you all in the best of health.
Michael
Sometimes a person has to go back, really back - to have a sense, an understanding of all that's gone to make them - before they can go forward.
--Paule Marshall
email: Michael@N-Spire.com
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