There was a time when I would have hesitated to claim either of these.
Today they are my truth.
I have been an artist since I was a child, yet this path was not seen as a wise direction to choose for my life. And while my art wasn’t part of my vocation early on, creating and making things was always a part of me, a quiet source of nourishment I connected with throughout my life.
It was when I began to study with one of my most significant spiritual teachers I felt a true transformation – a moment when both the artist and the spiritual warrior awakened within me, standing tall, curious, open, yearning to be expressed.
I felt the door to my heart begin to open and an ever-deepening practice of nourishment, discovery, and service, began to shape the choices that have guided me ever since.
I often recall moments with my teachers—individuals who carried
the quiet power of compassion and wisdom.
Their words were few but potent, like seeds planted in fertile soil. One teacher once looked at me, not with praise or expectation, but with a knowing smile and a simple, “You see it, don’t you?”
In that moment, I understood that what I was seeking wasn’t outside of me—it was already in my heart, mirrored by the steady presence of those who believed in me.
Over time, this reflection wasn’t confined to the wisdom of my teachers. I started to notice it everywhere: in the delicate unfurling of a flower after rain, in the steadfast strength of an old tree, in the quiet, unwavering loyalty of a friend’s support, and in the laughter shared with a loved one echoing long after the moment had passed. Each of these experiences was a reflection—a reminder that beauty, resilience, and love are all woven into the fabric of life.
These reflections weren’t always grand or dramatic;
sometimes, they were found in the simplest things.
A prayer whispered in the dark, a verse read at just the right time, a symbol in nature that seemed to speak directly to my soul, or a song that resonated deep within my being. Each was a reminder that my journey was not solitary but connected to a greater whole.
This discovery, that the reflections of my heart could be seen all around me was a turning point. It reinforced the idea the qualities I admired in my teachers and the natural world were within me, too. This encouragement and presence had revealed what was already there: a heart longing for peace, creativity, and the courage to walk this path with an open spirit.
We all have these moments if we pause and look.
They are found in a shared glance of understanding, in the silence between words, and in the echoes of encouragement reminding us we are seen, known, and held in the beauty of the world and the love surrounding us.
The beauty within you is reflected all around you.
Pause. Notice the beautiful. Smile.
This is the magic of your life unfolding.
In gratitude and thanksgiving, I prostrate to the many great teachers who touch my life. Among You are a few who have shined a light so powerful You, illuminated my soul, awakening my heart and changing my life in everlasting ways. To You, I bow down, touching the earth with my hands and knees, my head resting at your lotus feet.
I offer this life—body, speech, and mind—in service of those suffering, whether in small ways or unimaginable ones. May I release all that does not serve the awakening of our world. As I rise, may I humbly embody the teachings you have shared and the qualities of those who have walked this path of Enlightenment before me.
May I too be a light in the darkness, a beacon shining forth until all beings are happy, free from pain and fear, knowing they are loved.
And so it is.