I was cleaning out some bookshelves and came across this book that I purchased a few years ago. Remembering the beauty of Oriah's words about love, made me want to share...




The Invitation

by Oriah Mountain Dreamer, Indian Elder

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 hearts 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 dreams, 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, be realistic, or 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.


I want to know if you can be faithful and therefore trustworthy. I want to know if you can see beauty, even when it is not pretty every day, and if you can source your life from its presence.


I want to know if you can live with failure, yours or mine, and still stand on the edge of a 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 for the children.


It doesn't interest me who you are, 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.


May 1994

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"This above all else, to thine own self be true"-- William Shakespeare, Hamlet

That is very powerful, I think it pretty much covers all the bases of oneself.

__________________
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -- Helen Keller

__________________
Likkle more.............

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

Girl you WILL. Just like you keep tellin me....we're supposed to have faith.

__________________
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -- Helen Keller

__________________
Likkle more.............

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

There is not enough eggs in the world for that rampage!!

__________________
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -- Helen Keller

GG... you have to just BE and he will see it when he is supposed to see it... :-)

__________________
"This above all else, to thine own self be true"-- William Shakespeare, Hamlet

MissB it seems you have turned into the wise elder LOL.

__________________
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -- Helen Keller

__________________
Likkle more.............

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

LOL... who are you calling ELDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????? LMAO!

__________________
"This above all else, to thine own self be true"-- William Shakespeare, Hamlet

Well.. good luck with that strategy... as Dr. Phil says, "Lemme know how that works for ya!"

__________________
"This above all else, to thine own self be true"-- William Shakespeare, Hamlet

__________________
Likkle more.............

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.