Let it Ripple

"Reach out your hand, if your cup be empty.


If your cup is full, may it be again.


Let it be known...


there is a fountain, that was not made by the hands of men.


There is a road...


no simple highway, between the dawn and the dark of night.


And if you go, no one may follow.


That path is for your steps alone.


Ripple in still water...


When there is no pebble tossed, nor wind to blow.


You who choose to lead, must follow...


but if you fall, you fall alone.


And if you stand, then who's to guide you?


If I knew the way, I would take you home."
Lyrics from the song Ripple by The Grateful Dead


That song stirs up memories of a time in life when I was lost and searching, connected, yet so alone. I was scared, yet bold enough to explore new paths and begin to find out who I was. This was the beginning of the journey toward the truth of who I am. While on this path, there have been many wrong turns, pitfalls, and lessons learned. The beauty of the path, is that it is always there. Though you may wander, and choose the path of suffering, the true path to liberation and freedom remain unmoving.

In yoga, this path is called your Dharma or life's purpose. Each person has a unique path that only he or she can fulfill. Once you step onto this path, "the universe conspires to make it happen." (from the book, The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho) The good news is if you are truly on the right path you are supported and guided from within. Your intuition will guide you once you learn to tap in and to hear that still small voice inside. The art of listening must be cultivated through practice and perseverance. How do you discern which voice is the voice of truth or if you are going insane to be hearing voices? This is an excellent question. For me this has come through the process of getting to know He who calls my name. The voice of Spirit is a voice I have come to know and love through years of prayer and searching. It is through a leap of faith and trusting that there is a Creator of this amazing universe who knows me and loves me and cares about the intimate details of my life. When I cry out, He is there...right in the center of my soul.

This place I call center is where we are to let it ripple from. If we let our surface or countless layers thereafter ripple into the world we are missing the point. The true gift we have to give is uniquely ours and comes only from the center.

I have found that it goes both ways. Like the breath flowing in and out, so does this beauty and grace flow to and away from our center. In the Tao Te Ching it is written, that "The only true movement is return." So once we learn to tap into this sacred fountain that was not made by the hands of men, it must be a continual journey to return to from where we have come. Rolf Gates writes, "The point of spiritual practice is to make us teachable, to open our hearts, and focus our awareness so that we can know what we know already and be who we already are...The heroe's journey is a journey inward."

Living into your dharma is to leave your mark on this world. Doing this takes courage. Sometimes it is much easier to stay stuck than to deal with the growing pains of stepping into the truth of who you are. Although staying stuck is tricky and sticky it is somehow familiar and comforting. It is better to fly free than to be comfortable. The world needs you! The one of a kind, uniquely designed, wonderful, spectacular, YOU!

How will you change the world? By living into your dharma or life's purpose you will inspire others to do the same. In doing so, fear and people and life will try to beat you down. The wind may whip at your face and the ice will slip up your feet, but then you need only remember that you are held in the mighty right hand of an omnipotent God. The one who formed you in your mother's womb and knows how many hairs are on your head has a plan for YOU! "A plan to prosper you and not to harm you, a plan to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

A wise friend named Martha once told me, "Courage is fear with feet." So today, I encourage you to put those stompin' shoes on your feet and let the truth of who you are ripple forth into a world in need. Have faith that you are not alone. Have wisdom to know when it is time to stop courageously dancing forward and when it is time to return...rest...recharge. Be humble enough to reach out your hand if your cup is empty and trust in the abundence of the universe to fill the cup to overflowing.