Tags
Half the Sky, journey, Marha Beck, mistakes, mortality, passion, wisdom, Yoga
Although yoga is fast becoming a close second, my first passion is reading.
Last night as I settled on the couch I had three books with me. Here’s the list:
- YogaLife, a Prevention / Rodale publication
- Half The Sky, Nicholas D. Kristof, Sheryl WuDunn
- Finding Your Own North Star, Martha Beck
Two I’ve read before and one I’m about half-way through. The one I have yet to finish is tough slogging through due to the nature of the topic (oppression of women in the developing world and how to best help them). I can only read a little at a time, otherwise the calamity of the stories might overwhelm me completely.
I love the written word. There are times when I’m reading I want to pull the lines out like a thread and weave them into my own life. Intertwine them and hold them close to me.
From one book that influenced me significantly, I have done almost that. With a few of the author’s words carefully handwritten on them, I have a couple of 3 x 5 cards tucked away in my handbag. Though seldom I look at them or even recall their place, they are part of me. Words I believe to be true and so I want to take them with me on this journey.
The second last paragraph written in Book #3 goes like this. (I’ve split the paragraph in two here, as each spoke somehow separately to me.)
The journey through mortality will take you all over the place. You’ll go through career phases, successes, and disappointments. You’ll love and hate, rage and plead, suffer and enjoy. It’s a long trip, and the terrain is spectacularly varied.
For sure, spectacularly varied.
But the words that follow were the ones I most savored last night….
The one thing that will never change is that always, in every single moment, your nature will be urging you to notice the still, bright point of light that leads you toward your destiny. The compasses inside you will always be pointing the right way, even if you forget to check them, even if you fail for a while to hold your course. You can begin again at any moment, and the instant you turn back toward true north, every mistake you’ve made and every minute you’ve spent following the wrong path will become the raw material of wisdom, compassion and joy.
- always
- every single moment
- your nature
- notice
- the still, bright point of light
- destiny
- pointing the right way
- hold your course
- you can begin
- every mistake
- every minute
- raw material of wisdom, compassion and joy
Raw material. Precious. Valuable. Necessary for creation. For my story. My life.
I may have to add another card.
barelynoticeable 
I sometimes think introspection is the beginning of wisdom but must not be at the expense of others in your life. I can’t fault the reading habit; you’ve probably never seen me without a book, or two, or three …….. I really don’t understand how people live without them.
love it! I could have many cards too! do have a book though that I write quotes in… I read a line tonight that I liked:
I believe where you are , is where you make a difference.
Yes, the reading habit is definitely learned and is being passed down to the next generation of women for sure, as dear daughter cannot be without a book as well!
Funny! We are so much the same at times! Yes, I like that line as well. I believe you always make a difference – the trick is whether it will be positive or negative. We can only try to make sure it’s more often the former of the two.