Follow Your Inner Moonlight

 

“Follow your inner moonlight; don’t hide the madness.”

~ Allen Ginsberg

 

“You should be an accountant. They need accountants.” That was the advice I heard from the guidance counselor during my senior year in high school. I lasted one semester as an accounting major and changed course toward a business degree because that was the next most practical option based on my dad’s longstanding advice to secure a good job with a pension.

 

While I reluctantly trudged to business classes, I noticed how engaged and interested I was when I sat in psychology, sociology, philosophy and writing class. I was interested then and remain interested in learning more about those subjects, along with neuroscience, the brain, modes of thinking, self-awareness, emotional literacy, the nervous system, meditation, spirituality and ultimately, the meaning of life. I spent decades cultivating those interests and learning about these passions through workshops, trainings, certification classes, retreats, nature, golf, travel and adventure.

 

Yet, through the decades, there was a nagging dissonance between those authentic interests as described, and how I presented myself in the world via the credence I put into my identity based on my job. Along the way, I kept the call of my authentic self at arm’s length, wondering if and when I’d ever muster the courage to follow it.

 

This month’s theme speaks to the journey I’ve just described. Check out our feature story to explore ways for realigning with your authentic self, seeking your soul’s purpose and aligning with your dharma. Consider ways to listen to the deep, steady voice within and take even the smallest step toward that authentic part of you that’s calling. You may discover that if you embrace the adventure of living authentically in tune with your own rhythm, life can feel a little lighter and a lot more meaningful.

 

I included Allen Ginsberg’s quote because of my affinity for the moon, as reflected in my favorite poem by David Whyte, entitled Faith. In it, he writes, “I want to write about faith, about the way the moon rises over cold snow, night after night, faithful, even in its fading from fullness, slowly becoming that last curving, impossible sliver of light before the final darkness.”

 

The moon’s consistent cycle is a reminder for us all of the faithful, authentic voice within us, calling and illuminating our path.

 

Here’s to all of us—walking our own moonlit path and feeling good, living simply and laughing more along the way.