I M Perfect lady

December 28 – Mark Nepo

"Integrity is the ability to listen to the place inside oneself that doesn't change, even though the life that carries it may change.  Rabbi Jonathon Omer-Man

"Much of our journey throughout this book has been about discovering that place inside and cultivating the ability to listen to it, while having compassion for the life that carries it."

"It moves me to share the story of a troubled man who,exhausted from his suffering and confusion, asked a sage for help.  The sage looked deeply into the troubled man and with compassion offered him a choice: "You may have either a map or a boat."

"After looking at the many pilgrims about him, all of whom seemed equally troubled, the confused man said, "I'll take the boat."

"The sage kissed him on the forehead and said, "Go then.  You are the boat.  Life is the Sea."

"As we discovered so many times, we have everything we need within us. This ability to listen inside is our oldest oar. You are the boat." Mark Nepo

We truly are all boats riding along in life….and we steer our boats by what we hear from inside ourselves.  Not only hearing what we feel is right for us, but then the follow through, to point our oars in the right direction.

I used to be a boat that bobbed along with others pushing and pulling me; I did not have any oars in the water.

Now, I have strong oars that are connected to my insides.  I can and often stand against the majority for the sake of my self.  This has been 8 years in the making, to use and be confident with this oar.

In the past, my comfort was to be in a crowd and going along…like bunches of boats tied together floating down the river of life…with the sentiment, there is 'strength' in numbers.  Now, that would panic me. To be tied and bound to other boats; not free to move independently.

I believe, that in order to have integrity, you have to be free to move.

Perhaps integrity is freedom…love is freedom.  

Being able to be yourself no matter the circumstances you find yourself in.

I used to blend with the circumstance, I was ever changing…now, I am me and it often seems like I am going against the current or what some feel being nice would dictate.

My integrity now matters more. 

Having integrity to be me…is the freedom to be who I am…no matter how life flows. There is huge comfort in being comfortable with who I am.  Before I tried to become comfortable with the ever changing outside….now, I get it. 

If you are comfortable with who you are….you know you can handle what life delivers.  It may not always be comfortable, but you will know how to respond.

I love that the oldest oar is the ability to listen to ourself!