Dear Hearts,
Welcome back to the story. And, I say the story because that is truly what life is; one grand magnificent tale filled with brave knights and ferocious dragons, dark clouds and golden fields, great loves and sorrowful winters. Yes, life is indeed a tale. One in which I believe you are, for the most part, the director, writer and main character, and that each new chapter is determined by the contents of the former. Walk with me, as we explore this notion together.
It’s June, a season that embodies the power of self-love and invites you to celebrate every facet of who you are and, most importantly, it is the opportune time to recognize why self-love is so important. You see, sometimes we only realise how vital it is when we are on the brink of life, when we have been pushed so far into the chapters of hardship and sorrow that the paths before us are few, and all that remains is to fight or fail. So, if you’re reading this at the chapter of your life’s story where the storm has not yet come to pass, then I hope you will fully absorb these words. And, as for those who have weathered many a storm, and those who are still fighting against the forces of darkness in their respective stories, I hope this reaches the innermost chambers of your heart and, like a celestial gong, reverberates through your soul; you are the master of your fate, and you alone can steer yourself out of the most dire of storms and into the Elysian fields of light.
Growing up, I was a different kind of boy, the kind that was softer, preferred tea sets to cricket matches and dressing up dolls to roughing it up in the playground. And so, for a long time, throughout my teenage years and perhaps into the start of my mid-twenties (and then some), my survival was deeply entangled with my ability to love myself. Because nobody gave me the kind of love that I needed as someone who was different. No one told me it was okay to be different or to love who I wanted to love. But most importantly, what their actions inadvertently taught me was to despise my own being. They were slowly teaching me to scorn the very privilege that is life. And so, unbeknownst to me, a coldness began within my soul, one that many a time I thought would consume me, but one that, through the ages, I steered away from, guided always by the flicker of light that is a greater force.
And that greater force is what we call universal energy, or God. And when I say God, I do not mean it to tie into any particular faith or religious ideology, but rather the plain and simple truth that there is an underlying force at play in this world; something universal and undeniable. As the lead character in your story, you will find that it is often the great discovery of the tale, one that takes many chapters to truly decipher. How do we become so aligned with that divine calling that we are able to overcome any and all physical and emotional tribulations? How do we remain connected to something greater than ourselves, even in the darkest chapters of our lives?
When I was a young boy, I found myself alone quite often, carrying deep feelings of disparity, and I would sit beneath large trees during school recess or lie in the garden and talk to nature. I would talk to the trees; these ancient towering beacons of light, and I would feel some strange sense of reassurance. What I came to understand much later was that what I was speaking to was universal energy, and what I was doing was another form of prayer. Because all living things are connected to this force, from the smallest of ants to the largest of mammals. And so, it was my realization that these were conversations with the divine. Along the way, when you look back at the bleakest moments of your life, I believe you too will find whispers from the divine trying to reach out to you, trying to guide you and teach you how to stay aligned with the rhythm of your being. Guiding you, much like a mother guides a child with unconditional love, from the opening pages of your story all the way to the final words of its last chapter.
It is my greatest wish that you take a moment to listen to that voice. To tap into it and connect with it by whatever means necessary; through traditional prayer, through exercise, through meditation, or even through an artistic practice. You will find that this voice lives for all of us in individual pockets of life, and more often than not, it reveals itself in the moments where you feel most alive. And so, in this month where we celebrate people exactly as they are, I ask you to remain steadfast and resilient in the knowledge that you are never alone. For you are being guided through every pitfall and hurdle, present in the warmth of your fondest memories, in the gratitude of moments you are yet to experience, and indeed, even through the darkest of nights. Go with love, be with love and live with love.
love always,
Avastavé by Dmitri Ruwan
Listen to the audio narration of this article here.
