On the quest for personal authenticity, a benediction for the masculine, feeling heart.
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Each of us as men is on a journey, a path to discovering our personal authenticity. It is a process of letting go of old stereotypes of what it means to be a man, and finding our own unique truth, instead.
There is a reason you are alive, and you are charged with discovering it.
It is arduous, this journey. At least initially. If it was easy, everyone would do it. Most men will hear or feel the summons of their soul at some point (perhaps many times throughout their life) but turn away. You must have profound soul courage, along with the conviction to become your authentic self at any price. Anything less is too small for you and doesn’t serve the world.
In The Bones and Breath: A Man’s Guide to Eros, the Sacred Masculine, and the Wild Soul (White Cloud Press), I have written in depth about this quest for authenticity, passion and meaning in life. What I offer here, briefly, is that to evolve the masculine, we must descend from our heads into our hearts.
A conscious man’s real identity is seated in his heart and soul, not his head.
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The wild and masculine heart is deeply in tune with feeling. It knows compassion and empathy as well as it knows strength.
To discover the truth that burns at the core of your being, you must venture beyond the borders of our culturally defined masculinity — into the wilderness of the awakened heart and creative soul. Collectively we are re-imagining not simply what it means to be a man, but to be fully human.
On that journey, I offer you a blessing to carry with you. Tuck it into your pocket and pull it out to read when the trail is steep, rough, or lonely. You’re not alone in climbing the mountain, brother.
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~ You must depart the old life that has grown too small, heeding your curious, beguiling allurements as the path that beckons you. (Take your passport, wallet, and dreams, leave the rest.)
~ May you loosen the shackles of shame and be willing to walk naked to the gods.
~ Understand that the derision, mockery and scorn of those who do not understand what you seek — or feel — masks their own fear.
~ A conscious man’s real identity is seated in his heart and soul, not simply simply his head.
~ When you shed the expectations of others in favor of your own emergent truth.
~ Maps are useful but learn to follow the compass of your soul … especially in a darkly tangled wood.
~ May you have the strength to be alone — and value your own company — until you discover your true ‘soul tribe’.
~ May you engage the world in a less linear, more intuitive way, recovering a sense of breath and authentic movement. And feeling.
~ Realize that your entire being shifts — even your health — when you navigate with the heart.
~ May you recognize the underlying importance of claiming our value as conscious men and that which we are bringing forth.
~ Remember to continually give yourself away in generosity, knowing that our actions define us in the world.
~ Trust that you are never separate from the Mystery, and that grace unfolds in the most unexpected ways in unlooked-for moments.
~ May you reawaken to the sacred and make room for it in your life.
~ From your heart, bring something precious, vital, and hitherto unseen to the world.
~ May you find the place in the world and community where you truly belong as an authentic soul.
~ With your heart and senses open wide, in quiet moments listen for the timeless song of the world. Be unafraid to sing in response.
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(This post is adapted from the conclusion of The Bones and Breath: A Man’s Guide to Eros, The Sacred Masculine, and the Wild Soul, by L. R. Heartsong, White Cloud Press, 2014. Used with permission; all rights reserved.)
Also by L. R. Heartsong
And He Danced. Wildly. Naked | Embodying the Sacred Masculine | 5 Things A Conscious Man Discovers About Manhood | Meeting the Wild Falcon: 3 Reasons Why Nature is Essential for Men |
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Photo credit: Tanay Mondal