I first heard the beautiful poem, The Invitation, by Oriah Mountain Dreamer, in coaching school. I remember how, four years ago, it touched my heart with a sense of knowing, finding myself deep in its words. I happened upon it again this morning in a compassionate blog post by Ronna Detrick of Renegade Conversations, and I feel compelled to share it with my readers.
This poem has particular relevance to me today, as I look more deeply into what I need to thrive. I am not talking about food and water, a warm house, clothing on my back. I am referring to the deeper level of feeding my soul. Aligning myself with my values. I am constantly choosing how I want to live my life, refining, getting closer to my soul purpose. And sometimes I slip. I may not listen so closely to what I need. I occasionally let my head take over, convincing me to make choices that don’t work for me. Some of my worst decisions have come from overriding my intuition. The place that trips me up the most is in relationships with men.
In the past, I have made some bad decisions based on scarcity, the fear that if I don’t choose this great guy who has so many wonderful qualities, even if he is not quite right for me, I won’t find another. And now I know in my heart that this is not true. Not for me, not for anyone. And not necessarily because I have found Mr. Right. But because I know that a life of severe compromise of the soul is a life I can not choose.
It’s a big world out there. There are millions of people I haven’t yet met. And like anything else worth having, it’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time, and of being able to notice when the right opportunities fall into your lap. It is a fine balance between serendipity and creating opportunities, especially learning to take action when those opportunities show up.
And so, in that light, I share this poem with you.
The Invitation
by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon…
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shriveled and closed
from fear of further pain.
I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us to
be careful
be realistic
remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and stand still at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”
It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.
It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.
(Oriah Mountain Dreamer, from the book The Invitation)
Will you not betray your soul?
