Awaken and Surrender

In the experience of beauty we awaken and surrender in the same act. ~John O'Donohue

What a remarkable concept.  Experiencing beauty leads to both an awakening to all that is potentially possible in this moment and to a surrendering to the larger, sweeping rhythm of life. 

In the last post I explored how beauty calls us, not to some distant future goal, but "to our inherent capacity in this moment, right now".

Beauty calls us beyond ourselves and it encourages us to engage the dream that dwells in the soul. ~John O'Donohue

In this sense beauty awakens our own calling and invites it out into the world.  It beckons.  It draws our attention to all that is noble within, here and now.  There is no rush to become, no urge to fix, no hustle to do more.  There is a gentle coming alive, a humble waking up to the truth of what has been inside of us all along, and in that awakening there is a surrendering, a recognition that while we are noble and grand and matchless in our capacity, we are but a drop in this one great ocean of humanity.  Beauty reminds us that if we relax into the present moment we will remain connected to the sacredness of all life.  We surrender when we appreciate that there is no place for competition in our quest to live into all that we potentially possess, for we recognize that what we truly seek is a meaningful life—a life lived in service—a life braided with luminous moments.

"Every life is braided with luminous moments." ~John O'Donohue

May your life be braided with luminous moments of beauty that lead to your awakening and surrendering, all in the same act.

Much love,

And so it begins

Whew!  Starting a business is a whirlwind!  I've had to face fears and insecurities of my own through this process, and also recognize the ways in which I feel called to serve on a much deeper level.  And with this post, it begins ... so let's dive in!

Recently I was reading Daring Greatly by Brené Brown, learning about the research on shame and vulnerability and their relationship to joy and gratitude, and I found myself thinking of a few quotes from the Bahá'í Writings:

"In this day, to thank God for His bounties consisteth in possessing a radiant heart, and a soul open to the promptings of the spirit. This is the essence of thanksgiving." ~'Abdu'l-Bahá

"O My servants! Be as resigned and submissive as the earth, that from the soil of your being there may blossom the fragrant, the holy and multicolored hyacinths of My knowledge." ~Bahá'u'lláh

"Instead of complaining, they rendered thanks unto God, and amidst the darkness of their anguish they revealed naught but radiant acquiescence to His will." ~Bahá'u'lláh

After reading and calling to mind these quotes I sat back to reflect, and I looked out of the window of the plane I was in.  (I happened to be flying from California to Colorado after a whirlwind trip to work with two clients and present my Master's research on interfaith dialogue at a conference on immigration.)  So in that moment, I was directly above the Grand Canyon—like, crystal clear skies, perfect fall day, Grand Canyon.  Now, I've never seen the Grand Canyon before, never on a flight or in person, and in that moment I was breathless, choked up even.  It was stunning.  Here was this physical manifestation of beauty that comes from being "resigned and submissive", the water carved through this land creating vast cracks in an otherwise flat(ish) vista, and in its submissiveness it's beauty was born.  As an artist you'd think I would have whipped out my camera and taken a few shots out of the window.  In that moment, my prerogative wasn't to act as photographer, it was to simply allow myself to be taken on the journey the landscape beckoned me toward.  To quote one of my favorite movies (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, 2013), "If I like a moment, for me, personally, I don't like to have the distraction of the camera. I just want to stay in it", for "Beautiful things don't ask for attention."

If only I can continually recall that moment, how being "open to the promptings of the spirit" is much like the water flowing through the channel created out of "radiant acquiescence"—oh the joy felt in gratitude, the power cultivated in submission!  I was reminded of why I am doing the work I am doing, it is that feeling of returning home within one's self, the kind of homecoming that is only possible thru an encounter with true beauty.

So that is what I am here to support you in, returning home, to your center, thru beauty.  Whether through a specific program—Brand Your Beauty and Shape Your Sanctuary—or through customized artwork and prints—Radiant Creation and the Shop—it all centers around supporting you to come home within yourself through an encounter with beauty—the beauty within and surrounding you.

Ever in service,

Since I didn't take a photo of the Grand Canyon, here is a photo of a rose in the morning dew.