Through me course wide rivers and in me rise tall mountains.
And beyond the thickets of my agitation and confusion
there stretch the wide plains of my peace and surrender.
All landscapes are within me.
And there is room for everything.
Etty Hillesum
I have to pause, no actually I have to stop to take in the beauty, wisdom and depth of this piece. I can imagine wide rivers and tall mountains, some from experience and some from photographs. When I’m present to myself and my place in the world I can also sense thickets of agitation and confusion. The wide plains of peace and surrender are there too, but only if I truly (truly) stop all the noise and intrusion from the non-natural world fighting for my attention.
I rely on my own internal landscape for huge amounts of data, bodyfeel and intuition – that all landscapes are within me is a stretch, one that I know is worthy of experimentation. Room for everything? That demands a bigger shift in my consciousness, easier some days than others. Today is one of those days. Deep connections with a dear friend, a focusing partner, a colleague and a potential client have enriched my sense of self, my place in the world, and that simply does include everything. At least for a moment or two. Worthy of gratitude.
In case you’re curious about the author of the quote which inspired this post, I learned from Wikipedia that Etty Hillesum “was a Dutch Jewish author of confessional letters and diaries which describe both her religious awakening and the persecutions of Jewish people in Amsterdam during the German occupation. In 1943, she was deported and murdered in the Auschwitz concentration camp.” She was 29.
That’s a shock. Even amidst the horrors of our world now, still shocking.
And while this is a cliché, let’s remember life is precious.
[My private practice is full at the moment, so you’re welcome to reach out for an update on my availability in the future].