Do you ever have an encounter or experience that leaves you feeling nourished, peaceful, or hopeful like your bucket has been filled? 

For many years, I have offered meditation sessions for the residents at Turning Point. These recovery homes for men and women are extraordinary places with incredible staff. 

This week, when I visited the men, I shared with Jim, one of the counselors I have known since I started coming here, how meaningful it is for me to go there. He said it is a place where people can be real. They can be who they truly are; I can feel this when I’m with them.

Connecting with people on a soul-to-soul level and sharing authentically is food for my soul. The realness is refreshing, and the vulnerability touches my heart deeply. 

After our meditation this week, one of the men shared how he felt an opening in his heart. It felt like hope. I could see it in his eyes and face. Another resident said he felt calm. His head was clear. He felt connected. He said this feeling was unfamiliar but also nice.

Another resident shared that he did not feel open. For him, it felt like his feelings were being protected by a wall. I appreciated his honesty. It presented an opportunity for us to explore how all of our experiences have value.

There is no good or bad. Somebody might perceive a feeling of being closed as bad, but the truth is it’s not. 

There is innate wisdom in this. 

Sometimes, our feelings are ready to be felt; it feels safe to open our hearts; other times, it does not. It’s not a race. There is no finish line.

We talked about meeting ourselves where we are at, trusting that is where we are meant to be, and having compassion for ourselves, the life we have lived, and the journey we are on now.  

When I heard the men’s words and felt their experience, I was reminded that self-discovery is a remembrance. It is an inner journey home to our true essence. 

We are essence. We are love. 

Our stories may differ, but we are from the same source.

Our conditioning and life experiences have blocked our connection to our true essence. It is like layer upon layer blocking the light but never fully diminishing.

No one or nothing can take that away. It is who we are.

So, when one person says his heart feels open and hopeful, another person feels calm and connected, and another is aware of feelings being protected, I consider these awakenings. Each touches my soul deeply. 

When we take the time to go inward, be with our feelings, thoughts, and life experiences, offer compassion and kindness to the parts that are suffering, and heal, there is an opening— an opening to the truth of who we are. 

What is true courage?  

To be real.

To be raw.

To feel.

To share.

I witness it every time I visit Turning Point and visit the men and the women there. 

Many years ago, Jim introduced me to writer Joseph Campbell. Jim’s favourite quote from Joseph Campbell is, “You are the mystery you seek to know.” 

I am grateful to explore the mystery with these men this week. It is a privilege to share and connect with people in this way. Every time I do this, I experience the Oneness of our true nature. 

May we cultivate compassion in our hearts and feel that compassion in all those we see and meet as we return home to the love within our being.

Each person we encounter has a story. 

In a world filled with separation, it warms my heart to connect with others who dare to be on a journey of self-discovery—one that has depth and meaning, is not always comfortable, and takes true courage. 

With loving kindness and compassion,

Diane