“Each one of us is alone in the world. It takes great courage to meet the full force of your aloneness. Most of the activity in society is subconsciously designed to quell the voice crying in the wilderness within you. The mystic Thomas a Kempis said that when you go out into the world, you return having lost some of yourself.
Until you learn to inhabit your aloneness, the lonely distraction and noise of society will seduce you into false belonging, with which you will only become empty and weary. When you face your aloneness, something begins to happen. Gradually, the sense of bleakness changes into a sense of true belonging. This is a slow and open-ended transition but it is utterly vital in order to come into rhythm with your own individuality.
In a sense this is the endless task of finding your true home within your life. It is not narcissistic, for as soon as you rest in the house of your own heart, doors and windows begin to open outwards to the world. No longer on the run from your aloneness, your connections with others become real and creative. You no longer need to covertly scrape affirmation from others or from projects outside yourself.
This is slow work; it takes years to bring your mind home.”
John O’Donohue
Excerpt from ETERNAL ECHOES
Jesus .Catherine . Where did that come from. ? SOUNDS Like ” Norin Sheenan”
Old Friend .now a Buddhist Nun.
DI’d you hear .. MARIAN KEYES’ ON DESERT Island Discs .this Morning?
Morning Jimmy. Yes I heard Marian Keyes, isn’t she just a beacon of light! This guy John O Donohue, dead now, is a spiritual writer generally. Hard to read but fantastic to listen to. Try this link http://bit.ly/2mRwOhP and hear him talk on landscape. Actually you might find lots of other interesting stuff on that site.
Love John O Donohue, wish I could write like that. I wonder in this age of socail media is alone-ness even possible to attain anymore
Hi Andrew! I love listening to him talk more than reading him. But he has a great way with language.
Couldn’t agree more with some of the previous comments. His writing is amazing. Wonderful with your images! Thanks for sharing this. Profound.
It’s an ongoing learning experience for me but I’m embracing aloneness in a whole new way. Agree Robin I love his way of looking at it.
Very interesting….not at all familiar with John O’Donohue’s work. Will have to investigate. Also have to wonder who put the 2 dolls in the upper right window like that…..a fanciful child who wants to share the landscape and view with her little companions no doubt.
Haha! Yes the two dolls. I had a witchy story going on in my head but intriguing one way or the other. ☘
Love this. Every word resonated as I’m also in process of learning to love my ‘alone’.
Am going to seek out more of his work. Thank-you!
Marcie his On Being interview is wonderful I think you would really relate to his connection to landscape ☘