If you want to identify me, ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair, but ask me what I think I am living for, in detail, and ask me what I think is keeping me from living fully the thing I want to live for. Between these two answers you can determine the identity of any person. Thomas Merton
That quote showed up this week in my Inbox from Terry Hershey in his weekly Sabbath Moment post. Thank you, Terry!
As I read it again, I wonder, “How would I answer those questions for myself?”
What am I living for – in detail?
What is keeping me from living fully the thing I want to live for?
As we begin a new year, I have three requests of you:
- Make time to ponder for yourself these two questions. Carve out time and create sacred space to be fully with the questions. Be. Breathe. Write. Dare to hear your inner truth.
- Ask one other person to do the same. Someone you trust intimately. Someone who can be with themselves and you without judgement. (*)
- Share your self-explorations with one another. Notice how it feels to be seen and heard at depth.
(*) If there is no one that you can trust with your heart and soul, no one that you can trust not to judge you or betray you in any way, then keep this to yourself – for now. Perhaps 2019 is the year for you to develop this kind of relationship. Consider family members, friends, a spiritual counselor or life coach. It is possible and so expansive and healing to have someone with whom you can share at depth. You can read more about the value of deep sharing in Chapter 7 of What’s Alive In Me Now? Time for the journey of your life!