The poet David Whyte has offered a series of soul-nourishing talks during the pandemic. After the most recent, he offered a question we could use as part of our practices:
“What do you like to do where the doing itself, no matter how awkwardly done, is its own reward?”
He was referencing his own flawed attempts to play the Irish fiddle.
I find David’s question so applicable to a world in turmoil. With so much at risk, we have so little control of outcomes.
To what can we turn to find joy, no matter what?
Joy is part of how we build an inner sanctuary
We all need to find our keys to a sanctuary where what we do or create leads to delight.
Mine live in my emergency-joy kit.
I’m currently in the midst of a five-day course on art and awakening consciousness with my artist friend Dana Lynne Andersen. (Hence the brief post.)
My joy comes from creating. A formerly self-proclaimed non-artist, I’m filling my walls with color and creations.
Forget good. Or viewable. Or anything beyond finding a place of inner depth and enjoyment in creating.
Preparing for “whatever”
It’s not coincidental that I’m taking “time out” for this exploration. It’s part of my soul-fortification plan, to find strength for the ever-changing “whatever” that lies ahead.
I hope you have an emergency joy-kit ready. A shortlist of practices and activities that you delight in doing, no matter how awkwardly.
And like any emergency kit, you prepare it before the disaster. Just in case.
Hopefully, the number of daily disasters will go down soon. In any event, go do what you love.
