Tag Archives: travel

Polishing Your Mirror

“If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?” ~ Rumi

Have you noticed the way that some experiences seem to repeat themselves in your life? You become irritated and perhaps even angry, wishing they would just “go away”. But here’s the rub…

When we resist our lessons, they simply come around again in another form. Learn it now or learn it later, it’s your choice. If you choose later, the lesson will likely be more extreme, until you just cannot ignore any more that it is something you are trying to learn.

When we become wise enough to see that life is not just “happening to us”, but that we attract the experiences and lessons we need to grow our souls, then it becomes somewhat smoother. The head bashing stops.

Observation and reflection are key to beginning to unlock and solve our life lessons.

Susan L Hart 2022 / HartInspirations.com

A Little Love Story

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Sometimes we discover love in the most unexpected places. So it was on that scorching April day along a dusty trail on North Seymour Island, Galapagos. It was not my first visit to the Galapagos, and it surely will not be my last. I love the untamed ancient beauty of the islands. On this particular outing I had joined a group to hike and primarily bird watch.

There was also other wildlife to enjoy, such as majestic giant sea lions basking in the sun on the giant shore rocks. Sea lion pups nestled in nearby crevices, and I was able to get within several feet of them. The amazing thing about the birds and animals on the Galapagos Islands is that they have no fear of humans. Close encounters with the wildlife are very usual. I was in my heaven that April day!

It was mating season on North Seymour, and love was definitely in the air. Magnificent male frigate birds crouched in barren bushes, with red breasts puffed out to attract the females. Several times I saw females approach the males, and a somewhat awkward tango with gangly flailing limbs would inevitably ensue atop the low lying shrubbery.

The other avian species profuse on the island were the quirky blue-footed boobies. The booby males exhibited their elaborate courting dance, lifting one bright blue webbed foot, and then the other, while proudly strutting around their potential mates. Their distinctive whistling enhanced the exuberant posturing. Our guide pointed out that the brighter blue the male’s feet, the more desirable he is to the duller females. Brightness is apparently an attractive sign of youthful male virility.

Boobies breed and nest only when conditions are right, and they scout out several nesting sites to choose the one most perfect just before the eggs are laid. In other words, boobies are not at all careless where they put their progeny. Some of the females had already laid eggs in nests under bushes along the edge of the trail, and crouching birds watched us carefully as we passed by.

As we curved around the far side of the island, I became somewhat separated from the group. I lingered near one large nesting area, as I found the bird population to be extremely colorful and interesting. I had just circled back to take a few last photographs, when I heard a little grunt from the ground near my feet.

I looked down, and to my surprise discovered that I had almost tripped over a female blue-footed booby right in my path. I was focused on taking photos, and she was squatting in a most unusual open area. As startled as she likely was, she did not budge an inch from her spot. I crouched down right in front of her and spoke softly.

“I did not see you there little one. I’m sorry if I scared you.”

She calmly looked me in the eye, and then slowly stood up. Looking down at the ground between her feet, she revealed to me a large beautiful egg. There was no nest built around her or her treasure. It was as though she’d been walking along the path and got caught by surprise, much as human ladies sometimes have babies in improbable places. What are you going to do? Babies wait for no one once they decide.

The blue-footed booby moved her gaze from her prized egg back to my face, just for an instant. Then she looked back down and a second time back at me, transmitting great pride. The moment was frozen in time. She clearly was saying, “Look at the lovely thing I have made. Isn’t it wonderful?”

I exclaimed over the beauty of her egg, adding that soon she would have a cute little chick to protect. I was awestruck in this simple encounter, so pure in its innocent love. In that moment two females of very different species acknowledged between them the magic of all creation. I was acutely aware of the web of love that connects all of life here on Earth.

Sometimes the infiniteness of the ocean can be seen in a single drop of water. The encounter between the blue-footed booby and I was one brief small exchange, and yet it had immense depth.

As unpredictable as love between humans may sometimes feel, in actual fact it is a universal law as constant as gravity. This invisible, powerful force draws us magically and inexorably together into the One. We are bound and challenged by it.

Ultimately that is why we came here, to learn and get better at love.

A Little Love Story © Susan L Hart 2017-2022

This story is an excerpt from my ebook called Our Beautiful Earth, and was first published in 2017 in an anthology called Seven Degrees of Wisdom: Welcome to Our Circle.

A Little Love Story © Susan L Hart 2017-2022 | HartInspirations.com

Embracing Our Origins

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I feel very connected to nature and the Earth. How about you? If I had my druthers, I would spend the rest of my days exploring her wild places.

I love the below quote by Edward Abbey, notable American author and essayist. I do believe when we connect to nature, we feel the pulse of our origins. We somehow got this idea that taller buildings and more technology define us as more civilized. I would tend to disagree… It feels to me like society is becoing more uncivilized by the minute.

When we reconnect to the Earth and respect her in a way that she deserves to be cherished, it will be a big step towards creating a healthier, more fulfilled and truly civilized society.

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.