Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
This Mary Oliver line is from her poem A Summer Day. I awoke to her poetic question rolling around inside of me this morning. This happens when I am writing. My sleeping self continues to work on the blog.
Do you feel a sense of urgency in her question? I do. But it is not about charting your entire life. It asks us to explore the promises of our heart.
Mary Oliver’s inquiry is a doorway. It is an opportunity to engage with life’s important questions. It is easy to get busy and distracted. But we are alive for more than completing our “to do” list. Maybe it’s time to check in with our heart.
Surprisingly, our heart often calls to us through restlessness. We frequently misdiagnose its cause. We confuse restlessness with anxiety. We try to rid ourselves of something that is quite valuable. Eradicating this unsettling feeling is a mistake. Becoming curious about it can be useful.
Are these rumblings a sign of a burgeoning self? Am I longing for more self-expression? Do I dare step out of my comfortable familiar patterns?
Mary Oliver once replied to her own poetic question. She did not say, “I won many awards including a Pulitzer and National Book Award. I had a Guggenheim Fellowship and several honorary doctorates. I have published many bestselling poetry books.”
She could have because these statements are all true.
Her response was simple, profound and instructive.
“What I have done is learn to love and learn to be loved. That didn’t come easy. And I learned to consider my life an amazing gift. Those are the things.”
We have created an opportunity for you to listen to your heart.
Sunday, October 22 from 1:00 to 5:30 you are invited to take part in A Happening: Meditation on Your Life. The Theosophical Society, of Wheaton is the venue. First, we will view our award-winning film; Showing Up: Dare to Live from Your Heart. We will then be led in movement by Stacey Hurst, LPCP. She is the founder of Mind Body Connections and appears in Showing Up. Jennifer Lowe and the CoverGirls will lead an interactive violin serenade. Jennifer and The CoverGirls are featured in the film.
Does this offering speak to your heart? If your answer is “yes”, then please email me for information and to buy tickets $127 for the event. Nancy@ShowingUp.Film.
Here is a link to Mary Oliver reading A Summer Day
Mary Oliver dared to open the door to her heart. She dared to love and be loved. She saw her life as a gift. Her tender response resonates with my heart. If we allow ourselves to encounter restlessness, we may discover our heart’s longings. This is how we find our authentic self. Then we too may have our own touching answer to this profound question…
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”