Contemplative Curiosity: John O’Donohue on Awakening to Your Life
An Inner ListeningPractice
For this practice, open to the inner landscape for ten-ish minutes. Notice what it is like inside when you bring attention to these words and what they stir within.
What is it within you that notices?
Practice Instructions (use them or skip them!):
What is it like around you in this moment? What is it like inside?
Read the following quote (either silently or aloud) 1-2 times. Imagine the words being poured out into your hands. See if a couple of words linger that you can turn toward with curiosity.
What do you notice? Are there words or phrases that linger? Or perhaps you have a felt sense of the entire quote.
Read the quote again.
What do you wonder? As you hold what you noticed, or the entire quote, is there a question that arises in you? Is there a cascade of questions? Sometimes writing these down helps us gently excavate our inner landscape.
Bookmark it. Is there a word, phrase, or question you’d like to carry with you (in a journal, to explore in a conversation with a friend, to spiritual direction)?
Savoring & Appreciation. You took some moments to be present. This was the invitation. Whether or not you experienced something that sticks with you, consider savoring the experience.
“When your life begins to dawn on you or awaken within you, when you trust it, it actually comes into balance of its own accord.
This is the relief of giving up the driven external agenda of the ego.
When you allow your soul to direct you, then the ancient knowing that is within you, when it slowly and fully begins to surface or to come ashore, will balance all the different parts of your life, so you don’t have to look around your inner world like a demented shop keeper or a scrupulous secretary wondering have you all the bits in the right places.
You don’t have to do that. Your soul, as it yields your inner riches and gifts, will find the different places to actually posit them.
And the most trustable form of soul balance is when you trust it to happen of itself. Anything that’s too small for you will hurt you and limit you and cripple you.
Like, if you wear shoes that are too small, you’ll ruin your feet. Wear clothes that are too small and your body will never relax.
And in the same way, if you wear thoughts that are too small for you, you will hurt, bruise, and cripple your own mind.”
Contemplate the image. You may try a similar exercise with the image above. What do you notice? What do you wonder? Are you drawn to the image? Do you resist it?
Would you like some company or gentle guidance as you listen for wisdom and explore new ways of engaging with your soul? Kirsten offers spacious accompaniment and trauma-informed spiritual direction. I’d love to hear what’s stirring in you and meet with you for a free exploration session.
