Thoughts About Pain and Power, and Departing On Our Adventures
Thoughts About Pain and Power, and Departing On Our Adventures
Yesterday it rained in the mountains.
The rain made me feel a bit better about disconnecting our garden’s watering system, in preparation for the many months we will be away and the approaching winter, when the garden goes into a dormant state, and the vegetation is buried under the heavy snow.
I spent the day painting in the studio, and took a break to go outside after the rain to examine my vegetable garden.
The tiny cucumbers that have not matured yet, and about two dozen green tomatoes will be eaten by the deer who always eat our garden by the end of summer, when the nights get frosty,
The air smelled of fresh herbs, mountain blue sage and wild green rosemary.
Hummingbirds were hovering above me, reminding me to fill their feeders, which I have allowed to empty because of our departure.
Our home and the surrounding mountains felt magical.
I am a bit sad to leave our beautiful home in the wilderness of the mountains.
There is such deep silence in the mountain air that is missing in the busy world.
Looking around me, it feels like we live in a National Park, with endless tall mountains, a bubbling creek, wildflowers, deer, bears, mountain lions and many colorful birds and birds of prey that make these beautiful peaks their home.
I feel a mixture of sadness and excitement for the adventures ahead.
First comes a month of diving in the Philippines in a remote island famous for its unique macro creatures.
Then we will start walking a pilgrimage in Taiwan.
Walking a long pilgrimage is a demanding challenge.
Carrying a full backpack while walking long distances requires stamina, stress management, toughness, and the ability to push forward beyond fatigue and pain, all in ever changing weather that swings from extreme heat and humidity to rainstorms.
I feel so out of practice….
I tell myself that on the plus side, we will be getting stronger, and that there are many other rewards that come from facing a challenge.
We will be seeing new landscapes, eating great food and walking through some glorious settings, exploring a country that we have only visited a few times in the past.
It will all be new and very exciting.
Jules and I are people who love new adventures.
I welcome the unknown, and the pain that might come, because I know that it will bring about more strength and ultimately help us to develop better skills.
Extreme athletes, like cyclists and cliff climbers, talk about how their adventures build up their endurance and skills.
Physical pain that comes from exercising and exertion is seen as energy, energy that can be used to push through our perceived weaknesses.
Developing strength and “Toughness” is a great skill, one that will help you and serve you in many aspects of your life.
The concept of “Fun” is divided into two categories.
There is the obvious Fun that you feel in great moments, when you soak in healing hot springs, when you eat something that was prepared with care and skill, when you do the things you love, etc.
But these moments of fun are fleeting and quickly disappear, leaving you wanting more.
And there is the other kind of Fun, which is the kind of fun that is only understood in hindsight, after you put yourself through the challenge and work, and feel the joy and satisfaction at your accomplishments and all that you have learned and gained.
This Fun will stay with you, because it was felt while you shaped yourself into a better version of yourself.
It doesn’t dissipate so quickly.
It is yours forever.
With every pilgrimage, I overcome a bit more of my perceived limitations and weaknesses.
And as I let my perception of my limitations expand, I remember a bit more of who I really Am.
I remember that the strength I feel is not generated by my own body.
It comes from the strength and Spirit of the Divine that abides in me, as it abides in all of us.
We are not mortal human beings who walk the earth at random, alone and vulnerable.
We are powerful Spiritual Beings, endowed with the powers of creation, given to us by our Creator, who made us in Her image.
Many people do not believe that, but those of us who do are here to spread the Light.
We are ambassadors of Light.
It is our mission to heal the world of ignorance and to remind our brothers and sisters of our Divine Eternal Nature, and to demonstrate how we create our own realities by our beliefs and by the choices we make.
As beings of Love and Light, we recognize that we are made of Divine Energy, and that we have to choose the energies that we wish to embody and integrate into our being.
The ambassadors of Light can never fail, because the Love and strength and peace that shine from them to all their brothers and sisters come from the Cosmic Divine Love that holds the Multiverse together.
On our travels, I notice how we inadvertently influence people.
Last year in a hotel in Vietnam, the concierge ran over to us to open the doors of the hotel, as we returned from a run in the park.
He clearly wanted to talk with us and asked if we could stay a few minutes.
With outmost respect, he asked how old we were.
After hearing that Jules was 74, his eyes lit with delight.
He told us that his grandmother is only 70, but that she was “So, so old.”
He said she can barely see, can hardly walk, and can barely understand what’s happening around her.
Seeing us gave him hope that his own “old age” doesn’t have to mean decay and diminishing capabilities.
He said that even now, in his late twenties, he couldn’t do what we do, and without being prompted, he promised us to stop smoking and to start walking more around the city, instead of riding his scooter everywhere he went.
This kind of interaction happens to us everywhere and very frequently.
People love meeting people who do not comply with the common belief that with the passing of time comes decay, disease and death.
But the ultimate truth is that nobody dies without his consent and nothing is missing in your life that you have not chosen to omit yourself.
We are powerful creators, who unfortunately are currently unaware of how we are misusing our powers, and subsequently creating many of our nightmares.
I see this process of mis-using and how we create what we do not want, all the time.
People declare and own their limitations and never rise above them.
They make excuses (it is too hot, too cold, too wet, too hard, too expensive, too difficult, too lonely, too boring, too demanding, too much).
But I vowed not to aim so low.
I love dreaming up big and challenging projects for myself.
I love using my body not as a tool for seeking more comfort and pleasure, but as a vessel to reach higher levels and for seeing how high and how far I can push myself.
Our bags are now fully packed with diving gear, photography equipment and everything we need to walk a pilgrimage.
All arrangements have been made.
It is time to say goodbye and start a new adventure….
With love and light,
Tali
