Sharing Words from my Heart to Yours
In a world where words are shared in abundance, I'm left contemplating my place in it all. For those who don’t wish to shout above the noise, perhaps there’s a softer space, a place to share from the heart with openness and vulnerability. In an age where words have become content, sharing stories brimming with realness feels increasingly pressing in celebration of our humanness. For artists like myself who thrive in intimate spaces and who write as a friend rather than an authority, I feel we are on the precipice of a new wave of being that delights in tenderness, compassion and understanding.
So here I am, sharing my heart because everything else feels futile. The journey of the heart is certainly not as romantic as it sounds; it sets a person on a spiritual journey that seems impossible to describe in words. It breaks you down, it strips away anything that doesn’t align with your soul, and it leaves you in a wilderness where the wolves of your past demand your unwavering love and attention. Initially, your ego may be tricked into lapping up suggested spiritual practices, passing off inner turbulence as a reflection of astrological events and seeking advice from ‘gurus’. In those early days, I found myself attaching to the distractions - anything to avoid facing myself. Eventually, my original hurts became the springboard for my embodied spiritual journey, where I learned to feel my feelings, acknowledge the past and move forward with a spirit of compassion, empathy and understanding. Of course, this is an arduous process which may take years to move through and is never-ending in its teachings. Eventually, though, with an honest mix of tenacity and tenderness, our eyes will be open - open to the suffering of others, open to the ills of the world, but so too, so open to the never-ending beauty of the Creator’s creation. I think this is his will for us all to go through this journey to see it all, the good and the bad, the light and the dark, and to know for certain what is true.
Along my path, I’ve encountered beautiful people who have helped to heal my heart. This normally comes whilst I’m travelling and exploring new landscapes where divine timing feels even more poignant. The Creator seems to work best that way when there is no plan and with space for spontaneity to sprout. Sometimes, these encounters are fleeting, and sometimes, they are lasting, but each one has shown me what it means to love.
Love used to be a very triggering word for me, I used to run from love, I thought that it was dangerous and came with a plethora of restrictions and expectations. Love used to feel unsafe, and over the years, I’ve been able to become more and more conscious of why this is. It continues to be liberating to embrace my inner child, tend to her needs and put her racing heart at ease.
At the age of 21, whilst living in Barcelona, I met a man who awakened my heart. Later, when I was living in Hong Kong, he sent a Christmas parcel with this handwritten Rumi poem:
“In your light I learn how to love. In your beauty, how to make poems. You dance inside my chest where no-one sees you, but sometimes I do, and that sight becomes this art.”
Never have words touched my soul like those. They have echoed through the years that have since passed, fueling the inner glow of my heart that can never be extinguished. It confirmed to me that the Creator uses people as vessels to remind us of something so sacred that we may have forgotten - that underneath the ego, the hurt and the pain, we are light, and we are love. This spiritual love is deeply freeing, allowing and accepting. This universal love is selfless and is in service. Spiritual love is the ultimate teacher that leads us back to the truth of our existence.
A love story isn’t really about two people and their happily ever after
it’s about the way that love shapes and transforms the lives of others
the way it fuels goodness, the way it restores peace
the way, when left to its own devices, it creates something far greater and gifting than something exclusive
it stretches out its arms - this love made by two, given freely to all.
Living with an open heart requires a great deal of courage; it means working through fears and persevering when things get tough. It’s not about living in a transcendent space, far from it. It means facing everyday trials and speaking truthfully; it means being willing to be rejected and misunderstood. It means committing to a different way of living that doesn’t ostracise from others but rather embraces opportunities for authenticity and growth. Spiritual love is about truth and respect. Like I said, it’s not easy, but this love is needed now more than ever, so never underestimate the magnitude of your journey. The world needs more open hearts that are willing to risk it all, and I pray that yours is one of them.