It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living
I want to know what you ache for,
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love,
for your dreams,
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow,
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own,
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic,
or to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you’re telling me is true.
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself,
if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.
I want to know if you can be faithful and therefore be trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty even when its not pretty every day,
and if you can source your life from God’s presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine,
and still stand on the edge of a lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”

It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair,
weary and bruised to the bone,
and do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you are,
how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand in the center of the Fire with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself,
and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

The loons must be back but I don’t see them.  They are some place safe enjoying the sunny day no doubt.  The beavers have their dam still in placenear the spot I saw the cool turtles last year just hanging out on a log. 

The evergreen trees blow wildly in the wind, full of green, inviting all the other trees to join them.  Some of the trees still have fall leaves, resistant to letting go of what no longer serves them.  I am thankful that the wind is here to support them as they take that last step, allowing the newness of spring to step in. 

The sun is shining brightly in the blue sky, speckled here and there with fluffy white clouds.  A big change from last night’s indigo sky speckled with the glittering of stars.  Both equally brilliant.

It’s different here than in the cities.  No city lights to distract from the amazing aspects of nature.  Sometimes I want to stay here forever.  Never thought I’d say that but I’m in a different place now.  The solitude calms me.  The silence is peaceful.  The alone-time…much needed.  It brings tears to my eyes now.

Just a while longer, please, I ask.  Allow the sense of being safe, of being exactly where I am supposed to be, of being cared for by the Universe fill me to the top and out in every direction before I make my journey back to the “real” world. 

Or is this the “real” world??  I think it just might be.   I now look forward to returning home, bringing the “real” world with me.   Enjoying all aspects of my life and realizing that I can be in the “real” world any time I choose.

I opened the windows today to let the breeze in the house.  I could hear the birds singing as if they didn’t have a care in the world.  It smelled like someone was having a bonfire, a smell that reminds me of the lake in the summer.  I could see the clear blue sky with the bright sun shining.  Tonight we went to Dairy Queen, another sure sign of the changing season.  I got my favorite, a Banana Split Blizzard - a small – just enough to enjoy but not feel too full.  Ahhh, the sweetness of the seasons. 

I just received an email from someone about how connected we are emotionally to the weather.  I didn’t feel like I was depressed and yet now I feel ALIVE.  I feel like I can do anything.  If only I could focus. LOL

I had the best plans for the day and have been so distracted by the weather, I can’t seem to get anything done.  Part of me feels bad about that and the rest of me realizes how important these days are.  These days of simplicity…of enjoying the weather…of being a little lazy.  These days fill my soul. 

Tomorrow I can focus.  Tomorrow I can get things done.  There is always tomorrow.  Sunny days…take advantage of them while they are here.

Stretch out your arms and legs from tip to tip and feel the warmth of the sun on your body.

Let your hands run over the surface of your vessel, a life-filled frond teeming with energy.

The light current propels you forward, the gentle ripple of the stream echoing softly.

Rest in complete stillness as the waters carry you.

Immerse yourself in this lovely moment, knowing that by simply being you carry on…

A Bliss Trip-a-Day is brought to you by Kerstin Sjoquist, founder of Consciousness Arts, who has a mission to change the world by liberating the imagination. Kerstin combines her diverse background as a Juilliard trained actor, certified hypnotherapist, and tractor-driving farm hand to create the Bliss Trips line of guided meditation CDs. For more information, visit www.blisstrips.com.