awesomeness

sometimes i just cannot believe how dead on my man, mark nepo is for me.

i haven't picked up his book in ages. ('the exquisite risk')
and there i was, opening to where the bookmark was left....
and i started a new chapter that totally totally speaks to the thoughts
i posted in yesterday's blog.

it is the most awesome thing how this happens.

he started with a rilke poem -

"i live my life in growing orbits
which move out over the things of the world.
perhaps i can never achieve the last,
but that will be my attempt.

i am circling around god, around the ancient tower,
and i have been circling for a thousand years,
and still i don't know if i'm a falcon, a storm,
or an unfinished song."


i thought it was awesome before he even explained it.
then he explained it and i just shook my head with tickledness.

he says that rilke uses the images of the falcon, storm and song
to describe the different levels of effort we invoke as human beings.
'each image exemplifies a different aspect of will and surrender
and the conditions that yield it.'

in a nutshell -

the falcon 'survives by maneuvering the currents already in existence.
its will is one of alignment'

a storm's will is ' the result of spiraling resistance. this represents the
reckless power that comes from unconscious resistance or being half-hearted.'

and the song gets a 'harmony that seems only to result from a complete and
humble surrender, both by the song and the singer.'

'the more we surrender, the more we are touched by the life around us.'

and he talks of being half hearted being the worst state to be in.

i just loved reading this after thinking about finding god in the act of wholly loving.
of living two feet in completely open heartedly. and knowing i'd never get there....
which rilke mentions in his poem as well!

'but that will be my attempt.'

tickled.
tickled.
tickled!

and now i have images to work with!

mark explains we use all the different states all the time.
there's more detail in there, of course.
but that's the nutshell version.

i know for darn sure i'm a storm a whole lotta times!

how cool to stop and picture being the falcon or the song......'
i can work with that.
i know i can stop myself and ask myself 'okay, ter you bein' a storm here or what?'
could help.

had to share and offer it to you.
it's just too good not to.