There is a wonderful, short-but-powerful essay by Clarissa Pinole Estes called “You Were Made For This” which I read once a year and then lament not reading every day.
In only 360 words Estes packs enough wisdom to last a lifetime, so over the next few days I just wanted to pick out and share a few of her most powerful ideas from the piece – the first of which is “Soul On Deck”.
“Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times. The light of the soul throws sparks, can send up flares, builds signal fires, causes proper matters to catch fire. To display the lantern of soul in shadowy times like these — to be fierce and to show mercy toward others; both are acts of immense bravery and greatest necessity.”
“Soul on deck” speaks to a deliberate generosity and presence which feels both necessary and rare. Who will show up and bare the light of their person shine the way for others?
So often our soul is hidden below decks, sheltered from the wind, but also of not much use to anyone.
Soul on deck is a rallying cry to the brave, to the lovers, to the creators who know that the only way to help us navigate this treacherous mess we find ourselves in, is by standing up and shining our light.
Read the whole piece here:
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