The emotion of delight is often confusing for humans. There are so many elements to feel all the time, about feelings one is having and whether or not one should. For some reason, over time, humans seem to grow shy about the simple, deep directness of delight.

Delight is fundamental. It is simple. It is safe. It is a blossoming sensation, arising from within the heart and mind. It can be as easy as a laugh, breaking forth in spontaneous combustion of the soul, a little blip of joy escaping and then bursting like a bubble in air.

Delight is sometimes anticipated, which can either increase or decrease the actual experience of delight. Your choice. Your view. Your perspective.

Allowing yourself to be surprised by the world – for some people, that is a challenge. But for the moments when you rest in confidence of the space the world holds for you, any beauty, any connection, any glimpse of the holy nature of existence can bring delight.

It is not often thought of in scripture, but simply to be in the world is the delight of the gods, who cannot fully incarnate because of their nature. They find delight everywhere on Earth. They do not, as some worry, delight in the suffering of mortals. But they do wonder, occasionally, at the lack of delight mortals show.

When did you all become jaded, and tired, and spent? Do you not glance up in your dusty cell to note the fragile beauty of the new-spun spider’s web? And do you not, when she catches a fly, delight? Not for the woe of the insect entrapped, but for the demonstration of the arachnid’s art, and of course, the prospect of their supper. And do you not, for that moment of delight, forget the sorrow of being yourself, trapped in the world?

Delight is the path to liberation, spiders, flies, et al. ❀

To rest is to draw into yourself all the resources and energy you have been expressing out into the world. It is to take a period of time out of time, and space out of place, and withdraw what is generally given out.

When the body or the mind or the spirit fatigues, some people try to push on. Which is an interesting thing if you think about it. Like trying to drive a car without power or fuel. Even getting out to push the beast to the final destination, instead of crawling into the back seat for a nap, or waiting for the day to break so you can see what you’re doing, or waiting for help to arrive.

It is not necessary at every moment of every day to be moving forward. It is not a requirement that all the action you take be under your own steam. Sometimes it’s the better part of valor to ask for help, and then accept it when it arrives.

If you don’t know where to seek help, that is a useful meditation to have with yourself. Maybe write a list of ten places and people from whom you could seek assistance. If you don’t know how to receive help, this is as good a time as any to begin to learn. It is a skill, after all. It is a skill everyone needs. Nothing gets done in pure solitude, not really. So, resting in your efforts is mandatory.

Confront your fear of being lazy. There is a false equivalency between resting and lazing. Also, there is nothing wrong with lazing. But resting is purposeful in the accomplishment of your life. (OK, lazing is, too. Everything has a place.) You will not get as far as you think without resting. It is the reconstitution of the dried-out tissues of your soul. It is the rejuvenation of the skin of your being and the organs deep within, which keep you going. Is your fear of laziness and judgment greater than your longing for health and well-being?

Nobody ever exhausted themselves into better health. May we say, while we’re at it, that of course effort is called for in living your life, doing your work, loving yourself and others? May we say that at times great effort is required, to meet a deadline or launch a task, or even just to get through a day? Effort is not an objective measure; therefore, neither is rest. Both are required for function. Ask yourself, perhaps, why would you skimp on or sacrifice half of this equation? ❀

Truth, if you let yourself know it, is the thing that sings in your blood. It is knowing what is resonant, and the compassion to use it. Truth is not blind following, nor static, nor even always just. But it is, it exists, and you know it. The job is to stay in its light.

There is a song of truth, beyond ideas; the melody is a simple one. As more voices and instruments are added, it becomes the symphony of life.

Now it is true there are falsehoods, also, and these can mute the sound. You know the false note when it rings out, and you know – if you investigate – whether or not it had cause. Sometimes a thing is false by omission, or ignorance not yet healed. Sometimes a falsehood behaves like truth when further information has yet to be revealed. But truth in its naked glory, a sobering sight to behold, will have acres of space and light abounding and cannot be misunderstood.

It’s OK if you told a lie sometimes, but don’t pretend it is true. Everyone is false now and then, out of fear, or hunger, or trying to survive. But be truthful with yourself. Do not try to hide. Lying to yourself is the fast way down to destruction of body/mind/heart. You know, do you not, when you lie to yourself, you become the least trustworthy being around?

You deserve wholeness, you deserve love. You can only receive what you’ve made space for. When you lie it blocks your receptors, and then the world starts to shrivel and twist. After a while you are lost to yourself, and to others, a miserable way to exist.

You are, in fact, a beacon. You shine the light of your essence out into the world. There is truth in your existence that you may be unaware of, but that does not mean it is false. Ignorance, in this case, is no joy.

Consider this: a young child, a small animal, a bird – are they not true in the world? Do they not deserve pleasure, not pain? Do they deserve safety and love? The truth is that everyone here has a purpose, and everyone is trying to get by. There is much to contend with in the material world, and it can never be wholly understood.

But here you are, like everything else, a being of light and love, of damage and pain, of reality. Here you are, truth be told, spirit in material form, doing the best you can in an impossible situation. But you persist.

Respect your truth. Be resonant with truth. Seek truth at every turn. And know this: Truth is the path to everywhere, this path forever yours. ❀