Day 1 - New Beginnings

As humans, it is important to take time to recognize and acknowledge beginnings. So I'm launching a month of mindfulness with a blessing from one of my favorite writers - John O'Donohue, Irish theologian, philosopher and poet.

For a New Beginning

In out-of-the-way places of the heart,

Where your thoughts never think to wander,

This beginning has been quietly forming,

Waiting until you were ready to emerge.

For a long time it has watched your desire,

Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,

Noticing how you willed yourself on,

Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

It watched you play with the seduction of safety

And the gray promises that sameness whispered,

Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,

Wondered would you always live like this.

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,

And out you stepped onto new ground,

Your eyes young again with energy and dream,

A path of plenitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not yet clear

You can trust the promise of this opening;

Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning

That is at one with your life's desire.

Awaken your spirit to adventure;

Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;

Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,

For your soul senses the world that awaits you.

from To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings

I'm about to tell you a secret. The essence of mindfulness is to pay attention to the present moment and all that it holds. Learning to live in the present moment is how to wake up to life. Take a moment to be quiet and reflect on the passage. What is opening up in your life? Where will mindfulness lead you?

If you would like to learn more about John O'Donohue, give a listen to this On Being podcast by Krista Tippet: https://onbeing.org/programs/john-odonohue-the-inner-landscape-of-beauty/