Sunday, February 27, 2011

Living

The Secret

Worth

So here I am on the couch thinking about being a woman. I have always felt being a woman is magical and powerful.  I am not sure if I have sought out what others feel about being a woman.  I have had many conversations about knowing a woman's worth.  Too often we sit back and don't show others how to treat us, what we expect. We often assume they should know, but really how will they?  We have to teach others, family, friends, lovers, how to love and appreciate us. I know I spent my younger years, thinking "he should know me by now," "if she were truly my friend she would know better." Please, if I want it, I better ask for it or do it myself.  Lets look at love, I mean, if you aren't in love with yourself, how can you look for love from others.  You can have someone love you but really they aren't loving the true you, because you aren't appreciating who you are.  So ladies, lets start with lots of self love.  People can only be who they are.  So if you present your worth and they aren't treating you accordingly, why stay around?  Why even have a conversation about it?  Get up, say thank you and roll out of that spot.  Of course it can be difficult, but really whats more difficult being treated less then your worth, or moving forward to determine what your worth is.

How often has your gut told you, run, he is not good for you, she's not a good friend? How often have you ignored it, and they down the road kicked yourself for the chaos you are in later.  Listen to what your gut is telling you, I know it has never been wrong for me. 

I know I have had to remind myself of this very thought often!!  This includes jobs, homes, child, husband, family, family, and yes family again, and friends!!  Did my dynamics within these systems change, definitely. Were people hurt or left behind, yes. Yet I also could embrace the love my husband offered me more,I became a better mother, I could truly love all the parts of friends (even when I wanted to strangle them), I could let go of those who no longer fit in my life.  Most of all I knew who I was and am.  So will I hurt another to be true to me, yes.  Its not that I want to hurt others, but I can't hurt me more. I would only expect the same from others. 

So who are you?  What is your worth? What do you have to let go of to trust and have faith in who you are?

Friday, February 25, 2011

The Invitation

The Invitation - Boxed SetThe Invitation

It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.


It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.



It doesn’t interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon...
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.



I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.



I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.



It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.


If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”



It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.



It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.



It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.



I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.



By Oriah © Mountain Dreaming,
from the book The Invitation
published by HarperONE, San Francisco,
1999 All rights reserved