One Whole Self

Its hard enough to make it through life without disappointing yourself.

It can be twice as hard worrying about disappointing others.

Either way, equip yourself fully, start with one whole self, then begin.

~~Brad Rice

Face the Enemy

Always seeking,
my heart knows not what,
wondering what's coming next
a breath or two,
heartbeats cry out to me,
"get going, get going
keep moving
follow "

Follow where your heart leads.
It will guide,
fog and clouds to move away
let the sunlight through.

Keep on the path.
Keep steadfast,
regardless of the shadows,
regardless of the suffering.
It's only rain
and will stop
when the clouds go away.

Look ahead
not behind.
Go forward.
Face the enemy.
It is your friend.

Go forward.
Let your heartbeats guide you.
Hear them speak
with the rhythm of life
flowing around you.

Allow the seeker within, to be.
Allow the seeker to be fulfilled.

My Personal Opinion

I think we are often lead, but do not always follow. Like a mother walking down the road with her child, there reaches a point where she has to let go and let the child walk without being clinging and fearful.

The child might get distracted by the pretty seashells along the way and hang back while mother stands aside and watches. She wants the child to follow, but also allows the child to explore the world, and then... oh no! the child has been scratched by a thorn! Why wasn't mother there to prevent it? But, she is watching and cares and wants the to learn what to value and what to be careful of. Sometimes we just have to learn the hard way to take care of ourselves, knowing that mother is not too far away.

I think that we have a path in life to take, like if you were to travel from Belgium to Spain. There are a lot of things to see on the way, a lot of interesting signs that say turn left at the corner and go down that road and you will see the amazing beach.

And so we go on those side roads, knowing we have a goal to reach, and maybe we have a flat tire or the car needs repair, but yes, we do gain something from our experience, and so ultimately we get back on the path.  I think there are so many signs along the way where we are diverted and gain experiences both painful and enjoyable and it is all part of what we do to grow.

I think the tragedies in our lives are part of the path. Sometimes we stumble a lot on those rocky paths. I look at depression as my going down a steep path with rocks in the way. And so, all I can do is hang on and try to keep myself balanced and composed as best as possible while I am sliding down, sometimes falling down. And at the bottom, there is my old friend, my old enemy... Depression. It's like walking through mud, so it is difficult to get back on the path to the original goal. We could just curl up in the mud and die, or we can keep trudging through it until we can find a foot hold to start climbing up again. It's very hard to climb upward on a steep path, but it sure does strengthen us.

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I took the first three photos at Capitola, California and the fourth one in my own backyard. Destiny is collecting seeds from the dried poppies.