TBD on Ning
The Heart's True North
This is a blog by singer-songerwriter Carrie Newcomer (www.CarrieNewcomer.com). She's one of my personal and professional favourites, and her works speaks eloquently of all manner of things--like this:
The Heart's True North
Lately,I’ve been reading a book called “The Emptiness of our hands” by Phyllis Cole-Dai and James Murray. The book is an account of a decision to live voluntarily homeless on the streets of Columbus, OH for the season of lent in 1999. The book is very moving and written in a series of short daily impressions. In the book‘s introduction, the author explains why she would chose to do such a difficult and even crazy thing by quoting Annie Dillard “This is not the thing I sought” and “But it has come across my path and I have seized it.” The two authors were powerfully called to personally experience the struggles of the homeless. They would proceed to live in communion without judgment and shine a realistic light on the myths we have about homeless persons in our society. In reading this book I was first struck by the hidden world that exists in most of our communities. How easily people are erased from our consciousness, how quickly they are judged by appearances. I am moved by the kindnesses she received from unexpected sources, and heartbroken at the thoughtless or intentional cruelties Cole-Dai and Murray survived on the streets.
The call that sent the authors for forty-seven days into the wilderness of the homeless urban landscape was dramatic and life altering. Their journey asks me to consider what is calling to me? What is calling to all of us? What large or small thing has or will step up to my front door and knock? I understand that this thing that comes to my door may be an external journey - a trip to India, the creation of an album. Or it may be an internal journey to greater compassion, deeper insight, learning when to let go or hang on, how to forgive or humbly be forgiven. I have come to believe that there is always something calling, something pointing toward my soul’s true north. If I am true I will hear it. If I am brave I will follow. It is true that sometimes what comes to our door, we call to ourselves. Every action, every great insight, every mistake, every kindness, every triumph, every sorrow has led us to where we stand today. Our best intentions are sent out into the world, tossed onto the waters. Some come back to us and some move away. What we can hope for in these circumstances is that everything we’ve learned until now will help us welcome or at least walk gracefully with the thing that has knocked on our door.
But there are also experiences or calls that come to our door unbidden. We did not ask for it or want it. We open the door and gaze at this thing on the front stoop and say, “surely you cannot be mine.” It is the deep idea, it is the heart’s longing, it is the midnight call; it is the hundred year flood no one expected. It is an angel standing at the door smiling and nodding. It is the bad news boyfriend in leather and tattoos. It is the unfinished letter and the mysterious friend. Bidden or unbidden there is something calling our names. It stands at the door and knocks. It is waiting to take our hands and say “Come on with me and Honey, do try to keep up.”
I admit I’m not always the bravest of souls, so I’ll often spend a good while peering from behind the current lace hoping that if I’m very quiet the thing at the door will just go away. It takes a good deal of hope and faith to step into the unknown. It takes a measure of good-humored recklessness to answer the more unorthodox calls. But, bidden or unbidden, here it is at my doorstep, at your doorstep. And answering to door has introduced me to parts of the spirit, the world, my life and myself I might never have encountered otherwise. So listen, answer - our hearts’ true north is calling.
(c) 2009 Carrie Newcomer; all rights reserved; reprinted without permission
And for a good listen, check out my favourite: http://www.carrienewcomer.com/#my-true-name.html ("The Moon Over Tuscon" and "My True Name" are amazing. Truly.)
The Heart's True North
Lately,I’ve been reading a book called “The Emptiness of our hands” by Phyllis Cole-Dai and James Murray. The book is an account of a decision to live voluntarily homeless on the streets of Columbus, OH for the season of lent in 1999. The book is very moving and written in a series of short daily impressions. In the book‘s introduction, the author explains why she would chose to do such a difficult and even crazy thing by quoting Annie Dillard “This is not the thing I sought” and “But it has come across my path and I have seized it.” The two authors were powerfully called to personally experience the struggles of the homeless. They would proceed to live in communion without judgment and shine a realistic light on the myths we have about homeless persons in our society. In reading this book I was first struck by the hidden world that exists in most of our communities. How easily people are erased from our consciousness, how quickly they are judged by appearances. I am moved by the kindnesses she received from unexpected sources, and heartbroken at the thoughtless or intentional cruelties Cole-Dai and Murray survived on the streets.
The call that sent the authors for forty-seven days into the wilderness of the homeless urban landscape was dramatic and life altering. Their journey asks me to consider what is calling to me? What is calling to all of us? What large or small thing has or will step up to my front door and knock? I understand that this thing that comes to my door may be an external journey - a trip to India, the creation of an album. Or it may be an internal journey to greater compassion, deeper insight, learning when to let go or hang on, how to forgive or humbly be forgiven. I have come to believe that there is always something calling, something pointing toward my soul’s true north. If I am true I will hear it. If I am brave I will follow. It is true that sometimes what comes to our door, we call to ourselves. Every action, every great insight, every mistake, every kindness, every triumph, every sorrow has led us to where we stand today. Our best intentions are sent out into the world, tossed onto the waters. Some come back to us and some move away. What we can hope for in these circumstances is that everything we’ve learned until now will help us welcome or at least walk gracefully with the thing that has knocked on our door.
But there are also experiences or calls that come to our door unbidden. We did not ask for it or want it. We open the door and gaze at this thing on the front stoop and say, “surely you cannot be mine.” It is the deep idea, it is the heart’s longing, it is the midnight call; it is the hundred year flood no one expected. It is an angel standing at the door smiling and nodding. It is the bad news boyfriend in leather and tattoos. It is the unfinished letter and the mysterious friend. Bidden or unbidden there is something calling our names. It stands at the door and knocks. It is waiting to take our hands and say “Come on with me and Honey, do try to keep up.”
I admit I’m not always the bravest of souls, so I’ll often spend a good while peering from behind the current lace hoping that if I’m very quiet the thing at the door will just go away. It takes a good deal of hope and faith to step into the unknown. It takes a measure of good-humored recklessness to answer the more unorthodox calls. But, bidden or unbidden, here it is at my doorstep, at your doorstep. And answering to door has introduced me to parts of the spirit, the world, my life and myself I might never have encountered otherwise. So listen, answer - our hearts’ true north is calling.
(c) 2009 Carrie Newcomer; all rights reserved; reprinted without permission
And for a good listen, check out my favourite: http://www.carrienewcomer.com/#my-true-name.html ("The Moon Over Tuscon" and "My True Name" are amazing. Truly.)
Tags: Carrie_Newcomer, magic, music, poetry
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Chez moi on
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Thanks, Suse, now you have me wondering... and thinking... and feeling better about the way I've handled some things...
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Permalink Reply by Suuse on
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Curious, isn't it--hindsight may not be quite 20/20, but sometimes a revisit is very informative.... ;)
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Permalink Reply by Maricel Evasco on
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The call that sent the authors for forty-seven days into the wilderness of the homeless urban landscape was dramatic and life altering. Their journey asks me to consider what is calling to me? What is calling to all of us? What large or small thing has or will step up to my front door and knock? I understand that this thing that comes to my door may be an external journey - a trip to India, the creation of an album. Or it may be an internal journey to greater compassion, deeper insight, learning when to let go or hang on, how to forgive or humbly be forgiven. I have come to believe that there is always something calling, something pointing toward my soul’s true north. If I am true I will hear it. If I am brave I will follow. It is true that sometimes what comes to our door, we call to ourselves. Every action, every great insight, every mistake, every kindness, every triumph, every sorrow has led us to where we stand today. Our best intentions are sent out into the world, tossed onto the waters. Some come back to us and some move away. What we can hope for in these circumstances is that everything we’ve learned until now will help us welcome or at least walk gracefully with the thing that has knocked on our door.
I made the journey to my heart's true north very early in my life. It was a painful time for me...something I wouldn't wish on anyone. Yet, I don't regret being put through the crucible because now I stand stronger, more caring, and more resolved to do my part in helping empower others. My understanding of a Heart's True North is that whoever you are now and whoever or whatever become, you won't find truth without opening your heart first. I believe in the power of the mind, but I also believe our intellect can only carry us only so far in our quest for ourselves and for truth. At some point we have to cross the bridge between our mind and our heart to find the answers to the questions we ask.
Thank you for sharing this blog Suuse. It resonates deeply with me. -
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