Monday, January 31, 2005
An Invitation - Beautiful Words For Great Minds
The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
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 dream, 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, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, 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, to remember the limitations of being human. It doesn't interest me if the story you are 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; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy. I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the 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 to feed the children. It doesn't interest me who you know or 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.
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 dream, 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, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, 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, to remember the limitations of being human. It doesn't interest me if the story you are 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; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy. I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the 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 to feed the children. It doesn't interest me who you know or 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.
Amsterdams Newest Tree Hugging Hippie
Heres some write up i was unable to upload before i left for my December holidays last year.....
A quick description of my time in Amsterdam from End of July to Early November.
It has been A LONG time since i said anything on my weblog; well, i have a good excuse - i was just lazy :-) Where were we last time; i had just gone about some memorable experiences in Belgium and i could go on for ages (memories stored safe in my head in case i decide to write a book). Notably visiting the Hans Sur Lesse, Le Sphinx, The Kings Gardens, Stuck at Liege Guillemans, Hanging around Av. Louise and Place Sablon, Beautiful Brugges and YES i miss the Belgian Fries......I hated the Muzzles (Moules) thoughAnyway; here's introducting Amsterdams Newest Tree Hugging Hippie;
It was the hardest thing to make this decision especially since i had an offer to remain in Belgium but sometimes one has to look ahead and put things in perspective; sometimes as humans we are so caught up in looking around us rather than what is ahead of us; I will be honest (Please forgive me my Dutch friends) I never liked or wished to be in A'dam at all......for the rest of you A'dam is gorgeous; one of the most pretty and organised cities i have seen - believe it or not the system works in A'dam; apart from Switzerland, i havent seen any other place where the system works..... what i was going to do here is somewhat highly linked to what i want to do in my life; i call it "for the love of the job" suddenly here i am again caught up in the whole business of "changing the world" rhetorically put. Yes if you have been doubting it; i am a tree hugging hippie; working with Greenpeace until now was at first confusing but after getting to know lots of different people; lt has so far been a very rewarding expereince, not only in terms of the work, but in terms of the people i have met who believe in the seemingly "Bloody Impossible Mission" of changing the world - I like this quote from one of the Greenpeace founders; "YOU ARE HERE TO GET YOUR CHILDREN INTO THE NEXT CENTURY........TO HELL WITH THE RULES....."
Its now been 3 months since i touched base with Amsterdam and i cant even beging to explain it; at first it was hellish because finding accomodation in an all favourite city like this one is IMPOSSIBLE; I got to stay for 2 months at the greenpeace flat though and this is where my adventures begun; There was Susannah, a photo catalogist, she taught me the cycling traffic rules; then there was Captain Bob; when he left the netherlands his plan was to walk from Europe to New Zealand .... i dont know how far he is right now....sounds strange? well; its no big deal for him, this is a guy who has probably sailed to every country you can think of......witnessed the Kenyan independence in Mombasa, did a road trip from the UK to South Africa......i was humbled. Then there was Meike; very sweet person, she was published last month on a German womens magazine as a "Risk Taker"; Meike has worked with MSF in Congo during the war, lived in possibly every continent; very sporty climber, boat driver, motor biker etc....last but not least Richard; his witchcraft stories about living in west africa used to make my nights nightmarish........there was Ash the pure german shephard too......being an African it was quite strange how i got to bond with the dog. In the office; i am part of a team thats incredible; coming from an AIESEC background i have always had a "corporate" minded way of looking at things but working at GP taught me a few new things; these people are not driven by making money, these people dont waste time in endless meetings, these people believe in what they do....they are willing to risk their lives for the planet, and these people are very intelligent (a stream of engineers, pilots, scientists, innovators etc) all with multi lingual skills......one of my team mates speaks 7 european languages fluently which i have never understood.........but yet; these are also probably the most down to earth people i have ever known.
If you do believe in what you do........if you concieve what you want to do in your mind and work towards it; you can achieve it....money or no money, but the passion and belief.......a lesson that a few corporates may need to learn.
A quick description of my time in Amsterdam from End of July to Early November.
It has been A LONG time since i said anything on my weblog; well, i have a good excuse - i was just lazy :-) Where were we last time; i had just gone about some memorable experiences in Belgium and i could go on for ages (memories stored safe in my head in case i decide to write a book). Notably visiting the Hans Sur Lesse, Le Sphinx, The Kings Gardens, Stuck at Liege Guillemans, Hanging around Av. Louise and Place Sablon, Beautiful Brugges and YES i miss the Belgian Fries......I hated the Muzzles (Moules) thoughAnyway; here's introducting Amsterdams Newest Tree Hugging Hippie;
It was the hardest thing to make this decision especially since i had an offer to remain in Belgium but sometimes one has to look ahead and put things in perspective; sometimes as humans we are so caught up in looking around us rather than what is ahead of us; I will be honest (Please forgive me my Dutch friends) I never liked or wished to be in A'dam at all......for the rest of you A'dam is gorgeous; one of the most pretty and organised cities i have seen - believe it or not the system works in A'dam; apart from Switzerland, i havent seen any other place where the system works..... what i was going to do here is somewhat highly linked to what i want to do in my life; i call it "for the love of the job" suddenly here i am again caught up in the whole business of "changing the world" rhetorically put. Yes if you have been doubting it; i am a tree hugging hippie; working with Greenpeace until now was at first confusing but after getting to know lots of different people; lt has so far been a very rewarding expereince, not only in terms of the work, but in terms of the people i have met who believe in the seemingly "Bloody Impossible Mission" of changing the world - I like this quote from one of the Greenpeace founders; "YOU ARE HERE TO GET YOUR CHILDREN INTO THE NEXT CENTURY........TO HELL WITH THE RULES....."
Its now been 3 months since i touched base with Amsterdam and i cant even beging to explain it; at first it was hellish because finding accomodation in an all favourite city like this one is IMPOSSIBLE; I got to stay for 2 months at the greenpeace flat though and this is where my adventures begun; There was Susannah, a photo catalogist, she taught me the cycling traffic rules; then there was Captain Bob; when he left the netherlands his plan was to walk from Europe to New Zealand .... i dont know how far he is right now....sounds strange? well; its no big deal for him, this is a guy who has probably sailed to every country you can think of......witnessed the Kenyan independence in Mombasa, did a road trip from the UK to South Africa......i was humbled. Then there was Meike; very sweet person, she was published last month on a German womens magazine as a "Risk Taker"; Meike has worked with MSF in Congo during the war, lived in possibly every continent; very sporty climber, boat driver, motor biker etc....last but not least Richard; his witchcraft stories about living in west africa used to make my nights nightmarish........there was Ash the pure german shephard too......being an African it was quite strange how i got to bond with the dog. In the office; i am part of a team thats incredible; coming from an AIESEC background i have always had a "corporate" minded way of looking at things but working at GP taught me a few new things; these people are not driven by making money, these people dont waste time in endless meetings, these people believe in what they do....they are willing to risk their lives for the planet, and these people are very intelligent (a stream of engineers, pilots, scientists, innovators etc) all with multi lingual skills......one of my team mates speaks 7 european languages fluently which i have never understood.........but yet; these are also probably the most down to earth people i have ever known.
If you do believe in what you do........if you concieve what you want to do in your mind and work towards it; you can achieve it....money or no money, but the passion and belief.......a lesson that a few corporates may need to learn.
