Starting With Me

One of my main goals in life is to “know thyself”. Or to put in another way:

“When you try to understand everything, you will understand nothing. It is best to understand yourself, and then you will understand everything. “

~ Shunryu Suzuki ~

Understanding who I am is deeply personal. It is also universal.  Daily life becomes a journey, full of the dynamics of relationships. When I was young I had the vision of a peaceful life, full of love, a life of happiness. I was a trusting soul. I still am and at times it feels like this is a detriment. I see the good in everyone, to the point of potential harm to my own spirit, because there are those who don’t have control over themselves and cause hurt. This is life, and I am learning discernment and how to draw boundaries out of respect for myself and others.

Once I left the shelter of my small hometown and embarked on the journey into the Big World, I soon learned that my world can change in an instant and often does. I am continually surprised at the things that occur unexpectedly.  Many times I have asked the question “Why me?” There is no why, no answer except for realizing that I am here to play a role and by knowing and healing myself I help to change the world.

I also believe in the power of sisterhood. Sisterhood has given me the strength to keep walking the path; sisterhood is the well from which I draw comfort and wisdom.  I also believe that there is a divine balance of the feminine and masculine energies and when this is attained we as a whole will have peace.  It begins with me.

“Women are the power and the very foundation of our existence in the world. When women lose touch with their real selves, the harmony of the world ceases to exist, and destruction sets in.  It is therefore crucial that women everywhere make every effort to rediscover their fundamental nature, for only then can we save this world.  What today’s world really needs is cooperation between men and women, based on a firm sense of unity in the family and society. Wars and conflicts, all the suffering and lack of peace in the present day world, will certainly lessen to a great extent if women and men begin to cooperate and support each other.  Unless harmony is restored between the masculine and the feminine, between men and women, peace will continue to be no more than a distant dream.”

Mata Amritanandamayi Devi from her speech at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, October 7, 2001

Another source of wisdom that I draw from is Jean Shinoda Bolen, MD who wrote Crossing to Avalon, Goddesses in Every Woman, and Goddesses in Older Women.

www.jeanshinodabolen.com/

I believe that the thought that women together can change the world is emerging into the minds and hearts of many of us and that the vessel for personal and planetary evolution is the circle with a spiritual center. Before you can do something that you've never done, you have to be able to imagine it is possible.  --Jean Shinoda Bolen--

My goal is to live one day at a time, accept each day as a gift. I believe that together we have the power to make important changes in our world. We can encourage each other to be kind, to be honest, strong, and flexible in the face of change.