Dear Reader,
For anyone who has purchased Among the Pines: A Book of Poetry (or any of my other works for that matter), first of all - thank you from the depths within me for supporting a practice of growth. Within your hands you hold what is called a contemplative practice. I write to observe, I write to connect, I write to release, I write to receive, and to see myself through the reflection of words. Through this process I am able to walk through thoughts, feelings, eventually, rediscovering and reconnecting with the unwavering Spirit, and my endless source of inspiration, aspiration, and energy, God.
If you are picking up this book as a literary critic, you may be surprised to find what many consider to be “errors” within the words. It’s not a big deal for me to continue to edit, and re-publish the work, etc. It would actually be easier and take less time to do so, than to be real, and write this letter. However, a contemplative experience is about allowing yourself to be raw, being with yourself as a way to practice unconditional love, and to recognize what you need to support you on the walk. After some awakening discussions and reflection on purpose, I am choosing to keep the minute errors within the pages as a way to practice grace, and to give permission to others to not be perfect. My goal as a writer is not to put out the greatest works, to which that is determined by the reader, not the writer, at least in my mind. That is one of the reasons why I struggle to consider myself an author, in a professional term anyways. It’s also one of the reasons I choose to be an independent author. I find I can be most myself in that milieu. My mission is to show others that being real, being human, is the gift, and the process of growth is the practice, not to be perfect in the eyes of others as an end result. To me, that has been the most beneficial lesson I have learned through my experiences in life. If I wanted to be given awards for writing, this would be a very different book and experience, and to me, a depletion of my spirit. There was a quote written at the top of the Lapham Peak Observatory Tower that stated, "We aren't meant to be perfect. We are meant to be real." Number one, I wanted to be upset that someone defaced the property. And number two, this has stuck with me over the years as a mantra, or a reminder of what it means to be human, to live and create a loving relationship with our mind, body, heart, and spirit, as one.
If you are looking for further contemplative experiences, I am more than happy to walk that path with you, which is why I have created the Writing Journeys, LLC, in conjunction with The Heart Revival Yoga Center. We don’t always need to walk this path alone. A contemplative experience does not need to be writing, it’s about seeing ourselves in many different ways in order to connect with the spirit within each of us and come back to that place of continual renewal. Of being refreshed. Thank you for who you are and what you bring to this world. May we all continue to embrace the natural joy of being alive.
With grace and peace to all in the new year,
Heidi
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