Prayer for Purpose

May your purpose be
simply to enjoy
the fire in each moment
swirling presence
of expansive time
that guards the gateway
to the Beyond

“…the ghost of normal everyday assumptions… declares that the purpose of life, which is to keep alive, is impossible, but that this is the ultimate purpose of life anyway, so that great minds struggle to cure diseases so that people may live longer, but only madmen ask why. One lives longer in order that he may live longer. There is no other purpose. That is what the ghost says.”

Robert m. pirsig – Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance

Wishing you a beautiful Sunday: make it a day of presence and purpose in each individual moment, a happiness that is not tied to the future, that is not conditional upon the attainment or achievement of any goal, that is not contingent upon the occurrence or avoidance of any event. Wherever you are, however you are, you can take a moment to pamper yourself and give yourself the love and affection you desire, and make your purpose simply to experience joy, right here and right now. I am going to make coconut and almond flour pancakes, savour a cup of coffee, and give myself a facial.

Circle of Life

I’m watching our shadows, chasing, overtaking, the bike. Then fading back. It’s my favourite thing to do when riding a motorcycle at night, as a passenger of course. Please don’t do this when driving.

It’s a repeating cycle of encroaching shadowy darkness, which is blitzed by that shining light of the headlights.

“How do you know you didn’t die?” he says. I’ve just recounted the story of almost plunging off the edge of a cliff earlier this year, when lost in the mountains at night; then waking up to the most heavenly view the next morning and wondering whether I’d actually gone to heaven.

And I think to myself: well, perhaps I did die.

Perhaps I jumped through realities.

Taking “Me Time”

It is unfortunate that the way of the modern world often forces us to press on and race through life, that taking care of ourselves and listening to our own personal pace and rhythm, often gets pushed down the priority list.

But… really? It shouldn’t, and doesn’t, have to be that way.

I am blessed to have been self-employed for most of my working life, and to be able to (more or less) dictate the terms on which I’ve worked. That’s not to say that setting boundaries is always easy, and I grappled with the challenges of doing so particularly when working as a lawyer. However, I have also noticed how much our own personal choices and conformity to supposed norms, can influence and perpetuate negative working culture. Equally, with every decision we make to set a boundary (either with other people, or with ourselves and the ambitious, goal-oriented side to our personality!), and every opportunity we take to stop, listen, and communicate what we need, we can also shift unhealthy culture and norms.

The last month has been pretty busy for me, from editing/submitting my novel, to hunting for land, to moving house (twice!), to emotional rollercoasters. So this week I took some time out, to take care of me, to allow myself to feel and to be, to process emotions and rest my body. And as I’ve relaxed and allowed myself to expand into the present moment, I’ve found my creative spark flaming with renewed vigour, my energy and spirits have lifted, and I feel more ready to tackle whatever life throws at me…

Hope you enjoy the music! And if you’re looking for some practical tips on developing a healthy home working routine (/lifestyle more generally), check out my article in this month’s edition of Counsel magazine.