What I Have Learned So Far
Meditation is old and honorable, so why should I
not sit, every morning of my life, on the hillside,
looking into the shining world? Because, properly
attended to, delight, as well as havoc, is suggestion.
Can one be passionate about the just, the
ideal, the sublime, and the holy, and yet commit
to no labor in its cause? I don’t think so.
All summations have a beginning, all effect has a
story, all kindness begins with the sown seed.
Thought buds toward radiance. The gospel of
light is the crossroads of —indolence, or action.
Be ignited, or be gone.
- Mary Oliver
I am ignited by big questions that can only be answered by feet meeting a mountain trail, butterflies taking flight in my stomach, and by outstretched and interlaced hands. Questions like what is possible? how do I know? and why does it matter? Questions that can only be answered from someplace deep within, that I hope to bring closer to the surface every coming day. I hope to ask and explore these questions on this site as a way to invite others to step into their own intuitions as well. I believe my purpose (as of now) is to trek and blaze trails towards inner and outer wilderness so that we live lives of truth, interdependence, and evolution. My vision is to create a world that is deeply rooted in connection with nature and our true natures, so that we experience a more interdependent, balanced, and alive world. I am ignited by the beauty and magic of the natural world. The screech of a hawk, the whirring of a raven's wings, cascading cliffs meeting swelling seas, spiderwebs adorned with jewels of morning dew, leaves pirouetting down a mountain stream. I want to see it all for myself, by my own two feet. I am ignited by movement and seeing what my body is capable of: how high I can climb, how far I can run, how still I can stand on one leg. I am ignited by philosophical questions and introspective reflections with friends. Moments of stillness and perspective shifts. Relationships built on the deepest desire to see and support the other to become their fullest, most wholehearted selves. I am ignited by people OWNING IT and stepping into their fullest selves as well as supporting people in that process. I am ignited by words and the way scribbles of lines across a page can transport us to worlds unseen and to the deepest parts of ourselves. I am ignited by the challenge my grandmother set forth for me: "Dwell not on the past. Use it to illustrate a point then move on. Nothing really matters except for what you do now, in this moment in time. From this moment onward you can be an entirely different person, filled with love and understanding, ready with an outstretched hand, uplifted and positive in every thought and deed.”
I am ignited by the opportunity that is given to know myself, trust myself, and honor myself fully. To meet and push my potential in body, mind, heart, and spirit. To live an enduring, courageous, connected, wise, and vivacious life.