It’s been years since I last shared my writing with the inter-web.

I’d say welcome back, but that wouldn’t be an apt introduction to this narrative.

But before I indulge you with the banter, laughter, confusion, and chaos that’s ensued over the past four years, let me begin by saying thank you—-if that isn’t an attention-getter, I’m afraid, like me, you’ve fallen victim to our society’s unjust value assessment of your worth, your word.

In a world where our earth is silent, your voice on the social-space carries more weight than it ever has, and with your narrative, you not only transform history–you write the future.

But, before I get ahead of myself, take a breath. If you’re here, it’s likely the real world you know has filled you with immense doubt and fear, and you’re scouring the internet for a sense of relief…

Maybe you’re with family, or perhaps on a lunch break, or maybe I’m some form of ‘bathroom stall poetry’ dancing across your mind’s eye for the next five minutes or so.

Whatever the case may be, take a pause.

Inhale and exhale.

Roll your shoulders back, close your eyes and drown out the sounds around you. Visualize a person, place, or moment that inspires you.

Take your time, I’m certainly not going anywhere.

….

Welcome back.

Where’d you go? What’d you see?

If you have a pen and paper, write it down. If we’re fellowshipping in the stalls, make a mental note.

The truth is, no matter who you are, or where you are in life, the world will continue to spin, and without moments like this, you’ll feel as if you’re a top, toppling-down on its surface. It will always seem as if you “don’t have enough time” because there is always something to do.

If you’re like me, you’re cup may be ‘half-full’ but somewhere along the down-beaten-path you’ve walked, or sprinted, that clay vessel cracked and you’re anxiously ‘awaiting the day the river of tears you pour out day-in and day-out causes that stress crack to fracture, sending your entire being spiraling back into earth’s arsenal as pieces of shrapnel waiting for a great mercenary to discover your remains.

But we all know his interest is strictly political, and your true worth will never illuminate their eyes at the dawn of a cease-fire.

Or so, that’s one way of looking at life. But it isn’t and shouldn’t be the only way we view ourselves.

At this point, my glassblower friends might feel offended that I substituted glass for clay in my anecdotal tale, but that wasn’t an accident.

Unlike glass, which from its insurgence begins the process of degradation–with cracks and bubbles that emerge blindly to the naked eye, clay grounds itself in heat, pressure, and that’s right! Stress…

It’s true. At some point, we all return to the earth.

We all die...

But we aren’t a vessel, already formed, cracking under pressure, we’re constantly being shaped, changed, and hardened by the forces of our universe.

Then, to those that say, ‘I’m a glass half full, or one half empty’ I scoff.

We are never at half-capacity, our potential is limitless.

But our time isn’t...

Therefore, we must take time to breathe. To reflect. To learn from our present self, beyond the physical ails of our circumstance.

We will always struggle…

But we have the power to change our shape, our narrative, by taking control of our thoughts.

Notice, I didn’t say “controlling” because I’ve learned that clearly isn’t always possible.

But…

When the thoughts DO emerge, and they will; A simple breath, a pause, a moment you gift yourself, will set you on a trajectory geared towards mindfulness, meditation, and self-discovery that will aid you on your journey.

That sprint, becomes a jog, or if you’re lucky, a walk.

That mountain of tasks, becomes a hill.

That endless climb to the peak of greatness, plateaus because again, there are no limits only moments we live in.

I’m no expert at life, I’m only twenty-two. But like you, I’m an individual seeking a centered self. I’m not here to tell you to throw away your SSRIs and quit that job or class that’s stressing you out, quite the contrary.

I’m here to share my life, my story, my experience, in hopes that it might somehow enrich, or help you more soundly internalize your worth. Because like I said from the start, you matter.

Without you, none of this matters. Without you, these are meaningless ones and zeroes coded on a computer screen in the shape of a stream-of consciousness leading endlessly down a black-hole of silence.

So again I’ll say, welcome to my world of mindfulness. Together, let’s build a mindful-body of learners, seekers, and swashbucklers seeking silence with the earth in this world full of noise.