“I have worn my heart on my sleeve because it is too painful to carry it inside my chest.
When I carry it on my sleeve, it has the freedom to exist, to beat in rhythm with the Universe.
I feel like I'm more alive and yes, there are those who out of curiosity will say or do things that can cause its delicate existence to feel pain and sorrow.
I would rather deal with that, than to put it back in its little cage where it knows nothing else but the rhythm of my body and my Ego.
My heart was never meant to be part of my Ego.
My heart was meant to experience the Soul.”
― C.C. Campbell, The Stolen Light of Women: A Quest for Spiritual Truth Beyond Religion
Now that is what I call freedom, when you allow yourself the luxury of being you, with all your frailties and letting the world see that and creating experiences for self without knowing how it will end,
I had an interesting experience during my travel last week and this has given me a lot of perspective. I had been to Netherlands on official work and since had done a holiday and explored Amsterdam a while ago, thought I'd visit Belgium and specifically Bruge and Gent this time around. Was looking for a place to stay in these places and wanted to try out Airbnb, the popular accomodation provider that I'd heard so much about.
I zeroed in on a place in Eeklo, a little town located between these two places I wanted to visit. I loved the pictures of the house and the description and the host's introduction seemed interesting, so off I go and book the place for a steal, the price was unbelievable.
So I rent a car and drive from Breda in Netherlands, straight to Eeklo in Belgium, whoever invented the GPS system has my undying gratitude! The navigation system takes me to a house with a broken gate in a cobblestoned pathway and I double park my car in the narrow alley and walk through the gate to the door and look for a bell, finding none I push the door and walk in to find it empty! I'm seriously worried now about my car being towed and I call out loudly for my host, an exercise in futility as I discovered.
About 15 minutes later he walks from another side of the house and says, "Oh you're here, cool, that's your room, settle yourself. I'm in the garden behind, join me when you want to" and walks away.
For a couple of minutes I coudn't comprehend what just happened, this stranger lets me into the house and disappears, really??? I run after him and say, " I need to park my car and it's been out in the street for the past twenty minutes!!!" He then shows me which turn in the road to take to enter the garden and walks off.
I bring my car to the other entrance of the property, pull out my bags, settle in my room and walk towards the path he had showed earlier. It was a beautiful peice of land which he had converted into an open picnic area with tables and chairs and a few structures for a circular bar, kitchen and had animals like sheep, hens, a pig and a goat in different pens. He also had a vegetable patch on which his mother and step mother were working together, pulling out weeds in harmony.
I make polite conversation and we all walk back into the house and my host tells me he has a meeting, he's a local politician and will be late and walks away. Which allows me to go into town for a few beers and a meal and I return to an empty house. I pull out my book and settle myself and begin reading and the heavens opened and it began to rain in torrents.
Suddenly a thought struck me, it was 10:30 pm and I was alone in a house I don't know, owned by someone I don't know, in a country I don't know, what the hell was I doing??!!?!? I'm never one to take risks, always try and follow the safe route, where had my brains gone?
Apprehension now slowly began to creep in, all my bravado slowly began to seep out, especially when I remembered that my host said that the house is Never locked, like Ever! And he doesn't have a lock either. I looked around the house and saw it strewn with ipads, records, fancy electronic gizmos, laptops and many expensive gadgets I could walk out easily with. My flights of fearful fancy came to a stand still right then.
This person left the house with everything in it, with complete faith. He didn't know me either but he didn't look like it bothered him. All he knew about me that I was an Indian living and working in the UAE and I was married and have two children. Fullstop. Yet he walked away in faith, never thinking that I would do a Bonnie and Clyde!
I had conversations with him everyday during the three days that I stayed there and his philosophy was so simple. He believed in the goodness of things, in all men and women being equals, in community service, saving the environment, being self sufficient, being free of the trappings of success as defined by society, empowering the young and mostly in giving what you had, the more you give, the more you recieve. Not being worried that your faith will be destroyed, you may have a few unfortunate experiences but that shouldn't cloud your vision.
This to me, this thinking, is freedom. Freedom from what others tell you how to think and behave, freedom to believe in goodness, freedom to allow youself peace with yourself and everyone around you. Freedom truly means one thing and one thing only, Peace.
When you are at peace, irrrespective of your surroundings, even if you lived in a cage or a wide open field, but you were at peace, then you're truly free.
Allow your mind to think positive things... freedom and peace will come uninvited and make their home with you...
When I carry it on my sleeve, it has the freedom to exist, to beat in rhythm with the Universe.
I feel like I'm more alive and yes, there are those who out of curiosity will say or do things that can cause its delicate existence to feel pain and sorrow.
I would rather deal with that, than to put it back in its little cage where it knows nothing else but the rhythm of my body and my Ego.
My heart was never meant to be part of my Ego.
My heart was meant to experience the Soul.”
― C.C. Campbell, The Stolen Light of Women: A Quest for Spiritual Truth Beyond Religion
Now that is what I call freedom, when you allow yourself the luxury of being you, with all your frailties and letting the world see that and creating experiences for self without knowing how it will end,
I had an interesting experience during my travel last week and this has given me a lot of perspective. I had been to Netherlands on official work and since had done a holiday and explored Amsterdam a while ago, thought I'd visit Belgium and specifically Bruge and Gent this time around. Was looking for a place to stay in these places and wanted to try out Airbnb, the popular accomodation provider that I'd heard so much about.
I zeroed in on a place in Eeklo, a little town located between these two places I wanted to visit. I loved the pictures of the house and the description and the host's introduction seemed interesting, so off I go and book the place for a steal, the price was unbelievable.
So I rent a car and drive from Breda in Netherlands, straight to Eeklo in Belgium, whoever invented the GPS system has my undying gratitude! The navigation system takes me to a house with a broken gate in a cobblestoned pathway and I double park my car in the narrow alley and walk through the gate to the door and look for a bell, finding none I push the door and walk in to find it empty! I'm seriously worried now about my car being towed and I call out loudly for my host, an exercise in futility as I discovered.
About 15 minutes later he walks from another side of the house and says, "Oh you're here, cool, that's your room, settle yourself. I'm in the garden behind, join me when you want to" and walks away.
For a couple of minutes I coudn't comprehend what just happened, this stranger lets me into the house and disappears, really??? I run after him and say, " I need to park my car and it's been out in the street for the past twenty minutes!!!" He then shows me which turn in the road to take to enter the garden and walks off.
I bring my car to the other entrance of the property, pull out my bags, settle in my room and walk towards the path he had showed earlier. It was a beautiful peice of land which he had converted into an open picnic area with tables and chairs and a few structures for a circular bar, kitchen and had animals like sheep, hens, a pig and a goat in different pens. He also had a vegetable patch on which his mother and step mother were working together, pulling out weeds in harmony.
I make polite conversation and we all walk back into the house and my host tells me he has a meeting, he's a local politician and will be late and walks away. Which allows me to go into town for a few beers and a meal and I return to an empty house. I pull out my book and settle myself and begin reading and the heavens opened and it began to rain in torrents.
Suddenly a thought struck me, it was 10:30 pm and I was alone in a house I don't know, owned by someone I don't know, in a country I don't know, what the hell was I doing??!!?!? I'm never one to take risks, always try and follow the safe route, where had my brains gone?
Apprehension now slowly began to creep in, all my bravado slowly began to seep out, especially when I remembered that my host said that the house is Never locked, like Ever! And he doesn't have a lock either. I looked around the house and saw it strewn with ipads, records, fancy electronic gizmos, laptops and many expensive gadgets I could walk out easily with. My flights of fearful fancy came to a stand still right then.
This person left the house with everything in it, with complete faith. He didn't know me either but he didn't look like it bothered him. All he knew about me that I was an Indian living and working in the UAE and I was married and have two children. Fullstop. Yet he walked away in faith, never thinking that I would do a Bonnie and Clyde!
I had conversations with him everyday during the three days that I stayed there and his philosophy was so simple. He believed in the goodness of things, in all men and women being equals, in community service, saving the environment, being self sufficient, being free of the trappings of success as defined by society, empowering the young and mostly in giving what you had, the more you give, the more you recieve. Not being worried that your faith will be destroyed, you may have a few unfortunate experiences but that shouldn't cloud your vision.
This to me, this thinking, is freedom. Freedom from what others tell you how to think and behave, freedom to believe in goodness, freedom to allow youself peace with yourself and everyone around you. Freedom truly means one thing and one thing only, Peace.
When you are at peace, irrrespective of your surroundings, even if you lived in a cage or a wide open field, but you were at peace, then you're truly free.
Allow your mind to think positive things... freedom and peace will come uninvited and make their home with you...
