where there is fear

where there is fear,

there can be no Love.

where there is fear,

there can be no joy.

where there is fear,

there can be no Altruism.

where there is fear,

there can be no

accountability.

where there is fear,

there is no reason –

only vast illusion.

where there is fear,

there is no freedom,

only manipulation.

where there is fear,

there is no authority –

one’s agency rendered

a mere commodity.

where there is fear,

there is no clear vision –

that we are One –

interconnected –

can be preached

but not seen or embodied.

where there is fear,

there lives hate –

disdain of “the other”

and, therefore, the self.

where there is fear,

there can be no satisfaction,

only constriction

no sense of self-actualization –

“life” becomes about survival

at any cost, collaboration

rarely genuinely sought.

where there is fear,

there is Wall,

a massive edifice,

around mind, body, and

Soul –

voluntary imprisonment

in the name of security,

nationalism,

and tribe preservation.

where there is fear,

subjugation and humiliation

do not hide

and distorted masculinity

thrives.

where there is fear,

there is also opportunity

to perceive differently,

to soften,

to widen,

to cultivate a faith

that surpasses

human understanding.

The Heart ❤️ once wildly lost

can again be found 🙏

money

money –

conflicted:

a source of evil

or

a manifestation of

abundance?

a burden or a savior?

both?

a matter of perspective,

born of ancestral perceptions.

at its core

like all things human,

simply neutral,

money,

a blank screen

for our fears and projections.

stripped to The Bone

Life

will strip you

all the way down

to The Bone,

to your very Essence,

when you surrender –

holding absolutely

nothing 

back!

Succumbing to The River,

arms wide open!

Receptive,

softening the jaw,

the breath,

the doubt.

Being,

present,

feeling it all –

the fear,

the angst,

the panic,

the tenderness!

Relent!

Resistance is futile!

As Life takes the reigns,

Radical Trust

becomes the curriculum.

The madness of the mind

melts

into the background –

its rightful place –

in deference

and service

to its Master,

the grounded Heart.

the remembrance

came in a dream

last night, two words:

Stillness

Freshness

all that is recalled,

pieces, clues

from within

the subconscious Mind.

Stillness

conjures a Mountain,

the mighty Oak,

the Earth,

Wisdom.

Freshness

less somber,

lighter,

Innocence,

play.

Balance,

perhaps,

a message to take away.

Or, the remembrance

of a Truth

in a world

addicted to noise:

The Still

births

The Fresh –

always was,

always is,

always will be.

Rise, rooted

nervous,
proceed anyway –
breathing,
praying 🙏
hands sweaty, voice trembling,
do it!
that thing
on your Heart
for decades –
perhaps even lifetimes.
the irritant in your Soul
that simply
will not
leave you alone,
begging you
to Rise,
rooted
firmly
in yourself,
your dharma,
your imagination,
in forces far beyond
your comprehension.

Luminous Things

bright,

smart Beings,

they don’t stay

they inevitably fly away.

why?

what of the conditions –

the soil,

the ethos –

here, now

discourage commitment

inspire flight?

perhaps,

a misalignment of values?

a sense of directionlessness?

a desire for a bit more

stability and community?

all this and more,

trusting an instinct

to Go

Now

and explore.

Luminous Things await

on fear’s other side!

Freedom

A woman who chooses

to Be

without a Partner,

quickly comes to understand

the importance of

her self-confidence.

Dancing with Life-

amidst the moments of strife,

she counts her blessings,

remains attuned

to her endless lessons.

She sees the beauty in it all,

answers a resounding Yes

to Life’s clarion calls!

She breathes in

and through

when moments of loneliness

ensue,

knowing that this too

shall past,

darkness for long never last.

Peace

is made

with her perceived

regrets –

dates not taken,

suitors not met.

She cultivates

an ever deepening faith

in her Journey’s course

and perfect pace.

Less judgement,

more acceptance.

Less attitude,

more gratitude.

A commitment is made

to soften her Heart,

to come from a place

of compassion

from the start.

She believes that

all is as it was planned to be,

no conspiracy

nor great tragedy.

She does not

herself

deem unworthy,

too unsightly

to attract

suitable opportunities

for luscious intimacy.

Rather, in reality,

an unconventional beauty

is she,

one that cannot be seen

so readily

through the current lens

of the vast majority.

She is unencumbered

and free –

free to be completely she

in all her raw,

sexy,

phenomenal

glory!

Free to fly,

to touch beyond the sky,

swim beneath the sea,

turn water to wine –

all in service to humankind.

Be You

a bit of a contemplative time,

going within,

diving deep –

deeper than ever before,

meeting and making friends

with all the variations

and parts of Me.

Listening

to all their stories

and different perspectives.

Breathing,

long and slow,

taking it all in, 

heart breaking and opening –

no judgement,

only Love ❤️,

patience,

and compassion 🙏

At the core,

The Messages

all seem to be same:

Be you, Beloved,

please do not deviate

from your Original Face 🤗

Original artwork by Lili Arnold for CauseBox, 2017