Tag Archives: freedom

We’re Searching for Truth

The truth is the truth. Constant, consistent, it vibrates to the inner core of our being. We feel the truth. Like the straight arrow, the truth seeks its bullseye. It does not take a winding path to some ever shifting mark in the sand.

Truth has come into question of late. It eludes us. What is it? Where is it? Why should any one entity have the ultimate say in what the truth is, to mold the consensual reality as they see fit?

Sometimes there is no instant way to pinpoint the truth, but what we can do is be widely observant, noting the incongruities and idiosyncrasies, and listening to our intuitive voices along the way. We can feel a vibe in any situation, be it positive or negative, when we’re paying close attention. Logic and intuitive reasoning together help us to know where to properly place our trust.

If you are not already doing so, it is time to listen to your inner truth. In rune stones, Teiwaz (the arrow symbol) is the spiritual warrior. Spiritual warriors do not put blind faith in the consensual narrative. With patience and perseverance, they see, analyze, and go inward to compile their own conclusion.

As Albert Einstein said, “Blind belief in authority is the greatest enemy of truth.” This is your call to start listening to your own inner voice and wisdom.

Within You

You ask “Where’s the truth?”
I say it resides in your core,
it’s that feeling in your gut,
that you may often ignore.

Society says it’s the facts,
I ask you, “Whose facts?”
With experts at every turn,
there are too many, alas!

Our phones are their key
to enslaving us all,
they want us distracted,
our minds at their call.

For centuries the game
has been played the same,
they rule us with our fears,
our guilt, blame, and shame.

So that feeling you have
that something’s not right,
is the key to the truth
and changing our plight.

Inspirational Quotes:

“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” ~ Oscar Wilde

“A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” ~ Mark Twain

“Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world…would do this, it would change the Earth.” ~ William Faulkner

“Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it.” ~ George R.R. Martin

“I have learned now that while those who speak about one’s miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more.” ~ C. S. Lewis

Poem is from Humanity’s Lament: Poetry for Our Times. Download it free here if you’d like a copy.

There’s plenty of free reading to be found here!

© Susan L Hart 2024

Birthright

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Freedom is that thing
you were born with, is your right.
It lives in your soul.

Deep inside yourself, do you believe this? Or has society convinced you of something different?

Birthright is from Hart Haiku Vol. 1, © Susan L Hart

The Power of Your Mind

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What will you create with your mind today, your dreams and aspirations, or your worries and fears?

Observe the thoughts running rampant like little monkeys in your head. What messages are playing there? Are they a replay of the media hype you just watched on the news? If so, how are you feeling from it?

Resist letting your mind become a slave to someone else’s idea of what reality “should be”. The mass media constantly feeds us news that degrades our sense of self-worth. Disengage. Start listening to yourself.

Humanity is awakening. Trust in the power of your own mind and create with it. Every positive thought, vision, and action that comes from you can help to outweigh the negative forces in this world.

“Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open?” (Rumi)

This post is an excerpt from my short read ebook, 25 Big Ways to Grow Your Life.

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The Spirit of Aloha

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Hawaii is one of the major tourist spots in the world and if you spend all of your time in Honolulu and Waikiki, a tourist experience is exactly what you will have. Waikiki Beach is just one and one-half miles long and this small strip of sand attracts millions of foreign visitors each year.

However, when you travel outside of the blatantly tourist areas, you begin to discover another Hawaii. You find islands of breathtaking tropical beauty, a slower speed of living, a quiet grace, and inevitably you are introduced to the spirit of “aloha”. If you dig even deeper beneath the surface, you also learn of an issue that runs deep in the hearts of the Hawaiian people. This is the issue of sovereignty and freedom.

First, it is important to understand the concept of aloha. At a very basic level aloha means hello and goodbye, however this one simple word runs much deeper than these superficial meanings. In the Hawaiian culture, words have mana (pronounced: mah’ nah, meaning spiritual or divine power), and aloha is among the most sacred. Aloha is a divine word and it is a greeting of love when expressed with sincerity.

To introduce you to the basic background of the sovereignty issue in Hawaii, here is a quote from an article called “Hawaiian Sovereignty and the Native Hawaiian Vote”. Ppkp Laenui, who at the time was Director of the Institute for the Advancement of Hawaiian Affairs, wrote this in October of 1996:

“There is another side to the picture postcard of the hula girl swaying in her grass skirt under the coconut tree with the American flag in the background. It is the picture of a proud, hard working, intelligent, and honest Hawaiian people whose ancestors crisscrossed the Pacific ocean long before Columbus came upon the Americas, whose literacy rate was at one time the highest in the world, whose nation had almost a hundred diplomatic and counselor posts around the world, whose leaders signed treaties and conventions with a multitude of states of the world, and whose King was the first Head of State to circle the globe traveling to America, Asia, and Europe before returning to Hawai’i.

“In five quick years, Hawai’i moved from independent nation/state to a colony of the United States of America. Following an armed invasion in 1893, by 1898, the U.S. claimed Hawai’i, without the consent of its constitutional monarchy or the Hawaiian nationals. For a time, Hawai’i was lost from the arena of international presence other than as a historical footnote.

“In 1946, the General Assembly of the United Nations through Resolution 66(I) noted Hawai’i as one of seven territories over which the United States was to administer pursuant to Article 73 of the U.N. Charter. By 1959, Hawai’i was removed from that status and considered a State of the U.S. The process under which this changed status happened is now under serious scrutiny for its failure to meet basic standards of self-determination.” 1.

In that same fateful year, on May 20, 1959, a baby called Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (nicknamed “IZ”) was born on the small island of Oahu, Hawaii. He was raised with the knowledge of his Polynesian heritage, found the music inside, and eventually wrote songs that lamented the destruction of the land and the loss of sovereignty among the Hawaiian people. He gave voice to a desire to take back the land that was stolen from the Hawaiians. So say some of the words from IZ’s song “Hawaii ’78”:

“Cry for the gods, cry for the people
Cry for the land that was taken away
And yet you find Hawai’i.”

Sadly, IZ passed away on June 26, 1997, while his star was still on the rise. However, the words of this musical icon had already captured the admiration and imagination of thousands of followers, as it continues to do even today.

The issue of sovereignty in some ways seems complicated, and yet it is simple. It is has now existed in Hawaii for over one hundred years, and many people there debate whether the land will ever be returned to the native Polynesian people. No matter what the future holds, however, a love for the land will always be held in the hearts of the Polynesian people, as well as anyone else that settles there and understands and lives the spirit of aloha.

The music of IZ is haunting and compelling. He speaks to the souls of not only the Hawaiian people who had their land stolen, but at a deeper level to anyone who has felt the bite of injustice and control. (That would probably be most of us, at some time and in some way in each of our lives). The music of IZ cries out for a return to the principle of Aloha, so that we may connect back to the beautiful spirit of the land living deep within the soul of each of us.

Footnotes:

1. Quotation from “Hawaiian Sovereignty and the Native Hawaiian Vote”, October 1996, by Ppkp Laenui.

2. Quotation from “Hawaii ’78” on “Facing Future” album, by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, 1993 BigBoy Record Company

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Our Essence is Freedom

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There was a time in Hawaii – I will never forget it – when the ocean spoke to me of freedom. A storm was blowing in from Japan, and word in the community was that within a couple of days the surfing would be stellar. That same night, my partner and I awoke at midnight to the thunderous sound of pounding waves. We headed out immediately to check it out at a beach somewhat nearby.

This was one of the calmer beaches, not a surfer hangout. The waves were already spectacular! There were no man-made lights, save for several small dots twinkling way off in the far distance.

Uncommon Wild Beauty

When we arrived, the scene that lay before us took my breath away. The beach and the water were lit brilliantly by a magnificent full moon. Light clouds flitted in and out in the strong breeze. The rolling huge waves frothed white in the blazing moonlight, crashing wildly on the shore.

We took our shoes off and walked. The beauty and power of the scene were intoxicating, and my soul was unleashed in a way I had never experienced before.

Nature Speaks to our Essence

I felt what it means to be just a human being on the Earth, and the inherent freedom of my soul. For just a little while, the pulse of nature ran through me like a jolt of electricity. I felt the wildness and joy of my essence. I was completely alive, and I did not want that feeling to end.

The wild, untamed places discovered in my travels without fail have this affect; they speak to my soul. And I have come to understand this:

Our essence is freedom, and we must never let that go.

A quote about freedom from Shawshank Redemption:

“Sometimes it makes me sad, though… Andy being gone. I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they’re gone. I guess I just miss my friend.”

Claim Your Bright Feathers

Too many people don’t realize that their feathers are too bright to be caged. When that changes, the world also will change. It’s time to claim your bright feathers, if you have not done so already.