I once was deep in the middle of group think, so deep I couldn’t hear my own thoughts. Conform! “Conform!” they demanded. And for a long time, I did. Until one day I woke up and took a look around. I realized that what the group had to offer no longer served me, inspired me or made me want to be a better human being. I ventured out beyond the fold and breathed a long, deep breath of fresh unfiltered air.
Freedom! “Freedom!” I proclaimed. And that is what I found. Outside of the fray and braving the wilderness of my own thoughts – I felt truly free to navigate my own conscience, to explore my own beliefs and to ask why to the deeper mysteries of life. I unleashed my inner seeker and unshackled my fear of admitting “I don’t know.”
The further I got away from the powerful grip of conformity, the more I connected to the more powerful organic flow of life, the effervescent bubbling brook of joy and the deep well of love for the simple beauty of nature. Like looking through a kaleidoscope of creation, humanity in all its beautiful diversity drew me in closer than ever before.
Connected! “Connected!” I shouted. And the desire to peel back all of the layers of my soul compelled me to reach out and touch, to lean in and listen, to open my eyes and see beyond the shell that houses the soul.
How glorious and lovely the landscape of humanity I saw unfolding in my new found freedom. Where are the walls? I wondered. Could it be they were always an illusion in my mind? Divisive seeds planted there by frightened, small-minded men who found comfort deep in the confines of their group? Don’t go out there! They warned. Those people will poison you. They will confuse you.
They?! “They?” I screamed inside my own head. Who are these “they” you are always ranting about? I no longer believed in the “they” because for the first time I saw me. And in me, I saw you. And in having a clear view of me and you and who we are as individuals with different filters, ideas, concepts, practices and beliefs; I came to believe in the “us”: humanity, citizens of the earth, inhabitants on this tiny blue dot.
Hallelujah! “Hallelujah!” I exclaimed. In seeking, with unquenchable curiosity and a heart designed for exploration of the human soul, I so found . . . and suddenly the puzzle became complete.
The Zen Den
Hello and welcome to The Zen Den. My name is Alison and while I am passionate about many things, my most inspiring driving force is human connection. Blogger, content writer, orthopedic exercise specialist, motivational speaker, international yoga pro, published songwriter, avid poker player, mom and wife are just a few of my titles. But when I do my job at NASA, I am known simply as “The Fairy Zenmother” a role I deeply love because people invite me into their space to help them find their center, relax and stretch their muscles and destress their mind. Here in the blogosphere version of The Zen Den, I invite you into my world where I will explore ideas for creating a better tomorrow and a kinder today. And hopefully, with insight, authenticity and humor; my words, observations and experiences will help you feel calm, centered, intellectually challenged and spiritually enlightened. Alternatively, if you have something you would like to see covered in The Zen Den, just let me know. Your feedback is welcome and valuable to the success of this blog. Finally, my heart is filled with gratitude to have this opportunity to share with all of you.
