[ photo by Lynn Nagel; poem by Lori Havrilla]

Living Deeply

Shall we live deeply
without drowning, without losing
ourselves in the dark, merky waters
of that which is our soul?

Shall we go to that place
which calls to each of us
when we take the time to close
our eyes, take a breath
and listen to the silence?

Do we dare to jump
off the cliff,
to dive, arms outstretched
heart forward, mind silent
and stilled, frozen in time?

Is it forward or backwards we go,
newly discovering or returning
to our destiny,
our hearts,
the depths of what we know
but have forgotten?

Does the depth have a bottom,
a net to catch us,
a hand to grab hold of,
or are we alone on this journey
of exploring the deep?

 Shall we live deeply
without drowning, without losing
ourselves in the dark, merky waters
of that which is our soul?

Note:  This poem was inspired by my good friend Lynn Nagel’s photo of a whale off the coast of Cape Cod.  While I’m not a photographer, I appreciate good pictures so very much.  Thanks for the inspiration soul sista.

Life is good!  Namaste.  –Lori

The Alchemist
(by Paulo Coelho)

Okay, so I don’t always read every book twice, but this is another one that I’m on the second read through for a good reason.  I didn’t choose to read this book, it chose me.  My copy of the book is sporting a shiny “20^th Anniversary” sticker, and yet I’ve just discovered it.  Probably wasn’t meant for me to read until now.  Then, within a week, I had two different people recommend it.

Flying home from visiting a friend, I started chatting with the guy next to me.  I was reading a book, and we started to chat about good books.  He told me that he had just finished The Alchemist and gave the copy to his teenage daughter.  He told me I should read it.  Less than a week later, I was giving my ESL reading class the opportunity to choose their own novel for our little book club. Two of the five students wanted to read The Alchemist.  One guy was currently reading the English translation, and another girl had read the Russian translation.   

Suffice it to say, that this book is making for an interesting reading class.  Most of my students read each chapter twice as well.  First to understand the English language.  And second to understand some of the deeper meanings underlying the story.  As for me, I’m just happy to now be getting paid to read great books and share them with others! Is that another sign of what Edwene Gaines is talking about?  Hmmm…I’ll have to think on that a bit.

In a nutshell, the book is about one’s journey to finding out what you’re meant to do with your life.  It’s a full-circle type of deal for sure, but I don’t want to give away the story because it’s so beautifully written.  The story of a shepherd in search of treasure can be enjoyed on many levels, by those of all ages, and in many languages.  It’s a definite recommended read for you and the young people you know who are wondering what the heck they’re supposed to do with their lives.  I still wonder what I want to be when I grow up…if I ever do.

Life is good!  Namaste.  –Lori

The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity : A Simple Guide to Unlimited Abundance

(by Edwene Gaines)

Edwene Gaines is a hoot!  True confession…I only bought her book because I found it in the bargain book section while waiting for my daughter to finish her shopping at the bookstore.  Sorry, Ms. Gaines.  It’s so worth the full price and then some. I’m now thinking that getting the book on sale was my first step towards prosperity.  Anyways, I got the book figuring that I could somehow learn and practice just 4 laws.  Didn’t seem like a complicated program.  Oh yeah?  Well, the first law is to tithe.  I won’t give away the plot here, but you can gather that giving away 10% of your hard-earned money was not what I wanted to read in the first chapter.

Like I often do when I’m reading a good book that asks you to actually do exercises and put into practice, I read it all the way through first just to see if I want to do any of the recommended work.  Well, it is a good read.  Insightful, down-to-earth and, I finally decided, worth a try.  I’m on my second read through this one, and yes, had to bit the bullet on the tithing thing.  It’s just second nature now, and actually feels good.  I haven’t noticed any adverse effects.  Ms. Gaines includes lots of good personal anecdotes in her book and relies heavily on signs from God that she’s moving in the right direction.  Well, I didn’t ask directly, but I sure took it as a sign when I found a $100 bill on the sidewalk last week.  If that’s not a clear sign from the Universe that I’m on an abundant path, I don’t know what is.  It’s on to part two of the program for me.

Life is good!  Namaste.  –Lori

Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao
(by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer)

This is my staple…just like my daily cup of coffee (yes, I hope to kick that habit some day, just not today). I actually bought my copy at a Wayne Dyer lecture, but was too lazy to stick around and get an autograph.  Dr. Dyer has written essays on each of the 81 passages of the Tao Te Ching and recommended reading one passage only and mulling it over for several days before moving on to the next.  It took great discipline (of which I’ve got little to spare), but I did it!  After only getting half way through, I already started seeing changes in my life, especially in my relationship with my teenage daughter.  Whereas previously, the teenage years were rubbing me the wrong way (I should say rubbing me raw really), the more peace I embodied, the more peaceful our relationship became.  I remember thinking at one point “Oh, she’s really calmed down.”  Then I realized that maybe I was the one who had calmed down and stopped feeding the fire of adolescence.

I’m now on my second time through with the same book, and it’s still teaching me things about myself, lighting my path, and reminding me of things that struck a lovely chord, only to have that chord go flat after life interfered.  I keep this book with me pretty much all the time.  I like to read a little in the morning at my favorite coffee shop, where I go after I drop my daughter off at school, and before I head off to my work.  It starts my day out in the right direction.

Life is good!  Namaste.  –Lori