The things we love are constantly having little conversations with us.
When we listen and participate in this conversation we can learn new things about ourselves and begin to rest in knowing ourselves a little better. When we are moved by a quote, a song, or a poem it connects with us some core way.
Some of us collect these little pearls of wisdom on Pinterest boards full of our favourite quotes, document them in art journals, collect them on playlists or they may even just be resting on our book shelf marked with dog eared pages. Wherever you keep these inspirational words turning to them from time to time can be a therapeutic and cleansing way to realign with the things you care most deeply about. They are little windows into the things that matter most to us...
Two years ago I was introduced to the poem "We Have Come to Be Danced" by Jewel Matheson. A mentor of mine performed it and instantly it connected with me. It moved me in a way that was more profound and resolute than other poems or lyrics I had thought were great in the past. It almost felt like it was trying to tell me something. Months later I revisited this poem and decided to memorize it (as my mentor had done) to see what wisdom it could offer me if I fully integrated it into myself.
What I learned through memorizing it and then sharing it with others is that this poem speaks to my desire for risk. My desire to step off the track from time to time and do something that is scary and uncertain. This poem became a really important part to my beginning the work I felt called to do, and to do so without attachment to success or other worldly signs of "doing it right." I knew the work I wanted to do, I knew what I wanted to leave in my past, and I knew that the way I wanted to "dance" in this work was free. This part in particular spoke to me....
" We have come to be danced
not the hold our breath and wallow in the shallow end of the floor dance
but the meeting of the trinity: the body, breath & beat dance
the shout hallelujah from the top of our thighs dance
the mother may I?
yes you may take 10 giant leaps dance
the Olly Olly Oxen Free Free Free dance
the everyone can come to our heaven dance"
When I read this I am again reminded that I don't need to ask
permission, or hide, or wait all I need to do is take the leap with my whole self. It makes me think about being a child when I didn't carry wounds of fear or anxiety yet and I could offer myself in free and unabashed ways. When I feel lost or in a place of doubt I revisit it and it seems to fuel me with the energy that anything is possible.
What words do you love? Maybe there is a song, a poem, or a quote that you love.
Maybe you know why, or maybe it's a bit of a mystery and you just love it! Asking yourself some simple questions may just help you get into a bit more of a conversation with the words that you love and reveal something of essence back to you. Play along with the steps below!
Choose a poem, song, or quote that you love.
Read it to yourself 3 or 4 times
Notice if there any one part or line that feels especially beautiful to you
Write that line down on a piece of paper.
Start writing using this prompt "these words are telling me something important they are telling me....."
Just resolve to start writing even if you don't know the answer yet. Your first few lines might be "I don't know, I am not sure..." Just keep writing and trust that some wisdom will come.
Continue to write until you have 1 or 2 pages
Look back on what you have written and underline 1 or 2 key insights.
Once you have distilled this down to a few key insights you may wish to write about those further
Consider taking the quote you love and adding to it in an art journal or even just putting it on a sticky note on your fridge!
Share your favourite quote, poem or song below as well as any insights or stories you may have about how these words have helped you gain insights into yourself. Take a risk and see if sharing it with e world offers you anything new! Plus who doesn't love discovering new poems, songs, and quotes? Maybe a new discovery is waiting for you ready to reveal an essential piece of wisdom you are now ready for?!
