"She observes: We do to stay in the shallows, so we don't have to be in the depths. But we know the way to a better life sits below the surface, not on it. This image of the deep sea is an apt and illuminating metaphor for the hidden interior universe of currents and forces that shape us. My own decades-long pursuit of interior exploration has been the defining work of my later life."
"Some dismiss such inquiry as selfish or narcissistic, citing its apparent lack of visible contribution to community. Yet my experience suggests the reverse. By resisting the lure of superficial satisfactions, I find myself more attuned to others, less ruled by egoic need, and more capable of compassion and tolerance. To observe and engage with these inner dynamics is, I believe, a creative act of self-nurture that can enrich and fortify both self and society."
"For me, poetry has become the means of charting such passages, grounding experiences that often defy language, and giving tentative form to the unseen movements of the unconscious. In writing, I seek not only to steady my own course but also to signal that such inner voyages, though demanding, can offer gifts of empathy, depth and renewal for the wider human community."
Deep interior work offers a pathway to a better life located below the surface of habitual activity. The deep-sea metaphor evokes hidden currents and forces shaping behavior and feeling. Decades-long interior exploration can become the defining work of later life and a reliably governable domain. Such inquiry often faces criticism as selfish, yet attentive inner work tends to increase attunement, reduce ego-driven needs, and enhance compassion and tolerance. Observing and engaging inner dynamics functions as creative self-nurture that enriches resilience, patience and inspiration. Poetry and writing can chart interior passages, steadies experience, and signal gifts of empathy and renewal to the wider community.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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