Nothing changes without Me
Sometimes, my heart is so open
I can’t tell if it is a gaping wound
or a portal for everything that ever was and ever will be.
I’ve learned to love the beautiful terror of eternity,
and scenario planning for how shattered I could be
If the dark things got tall
and if I fell backwards in my forgetting of the light.
But you can’t fall backwards in Space,
You can only only ever unfurl.
More than anything,
I’ve wed the certainty that nothing changes without me –
not coal becoming diamonds
not fertilizing eggs
or migration patterns
or medicine dreams.
And what I thought was a net cast to me from a higher God
is actually strands of truth and filaments of desire
that I have tied together with my own two hands.
And in precious encounters, I tie what I know and want to you,
so we can ride the winds of wonder.
Yes, and
I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day – E. B. White
These are the first two entries in the chapter from Danielle LaPorte’s excellent book White Hot Truth on the Soul of Service: Link to the Book.
In this chapter Danielle discusses Conscious Optimism, the next quote is from Neil deGrasse Tyson:
I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday, and lessen the suffering of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you.
Today we will discuss the second of these, how to lessen the suffering of others. To me, as demonstrated by all our great heroes and heroines it is through service this is attained.
How do we as humanity relate to this, lets have a look:
1. Although Muhammad Ali points to the other one in this quote.
2. How do we start to serve, from where we are: because From little things, big things grow: Classic Version of that song.
3. Giving from your soul turns on the love light.
4. Some beautiful words with deep insight from the master, Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī: Light a candle in your Heart.
5. A man who died freeing his beloved India but believed that the answer lied in serving the culture of his country.
6. Achieving this lets us see more and more opportunities to be of service: Wrecking Ball.
7. Erica Jong is an American novelist and poet, known particularly for her 1973 novel Fear of Flying. The book became famously controversial for its attitudes towards female sexuality and figured prominently in the development of second-wave feminism. According to Washington Post, it has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.
8. They say if you achieve this you will never work another day. A hint, look how you can serve others: Soul’s on Fire.
9. Wordy, but needs to be taken in.
10. Swami’s are meant to be very wise. This one seems to be in the area of service: Try Everything.
11. I know this is taking the piss out of Shakespeare’s more famous quote but I just had to include it.
12. Maya liberates my soul: And still I Rise.
13. You nearly need a magnifier to read this famous quote from Martin, but we all know the line anybody can serve.
14. Three beautiful gifts to give to the world: Just give me a Reason.
15. With the recent passing of Stephen Hawkings, the former president of India has a great point about the service to humanity that science provides.
And to finish some more words from Danielle that really sum service up:
Service is when spirit meets matter where it is. Service is being informed. Service is being enraged and compassionate. Service is being ruthlessly honest about the facts – then choosing to be hopeful about the future.
The music today starts with one of Australia’s preeminent Indigenous singers Archie Roach and Sarah Storer, then Paul Janz, Sarah Blackwood, Anthony Blackwood to the more well known Shakira, Maya Angelou and finishing with Pink.
Namaste until next time my dear friends.
A very appropriate post, one day before our mother’s birthday. I’m sure she would agree with your choice of topic! I like the way you have brought our attention to the way service is being redefined so it is not simply viewed as one becoming a martyr to the needs of others. Like in the final quote you included here from Danielle. You don’t usually see words like ‘enraged and compassionate’ placed next to each other when discussing service!
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