“People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances with our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.”
― Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth
Today I listened to some music that touched my soul.
I stopped what I was doing. Stood still. Listened.
Tears came to my eyes.
Rather than brushing them away with the back of my hand, I let them flow.
I leaned into what I was feeling.
And heard my inner voice say ‘Thank you God’.
Thank you for helping me feel the rapture of being alive.
Lavender Lassie Rose
Rapture – a vibrant, rich word.
One that is rarely spoken as part of our lexicon.
Here are the first 3 meanings from Dictionary.com
RAPTURE
1. ecstatic joy or delight; joyful ecstasy.
2. an utterance or expression of ecstatic delight.
3. the carrying of a person to another place or sphere of existence.
When I initially read what Joseph Campbell said about the ‘rapture of being alive’, it was as if he was speaking to me personally.
I finally understood that what I felt when playing the piano since I was a child wasn’t just about expressing my emotions.
It was much fuller, deeper, richer.
An experience so magical that it transported me to another consciousness.
You have the ability to feel the rapture of being alive.
It’s gurgling inside of you – waiting to bubble over and take center stage and dance like a whirling dervish.
The key is to allow your soul to open wide and deep.
And let the feelings sweep you away to a glorious, reverential consciousness where time and thoughts are inconsequential.
5 STRATEGIES
1. Take note of when something grabs you emotionally.
It can be anything ~
An old man sitting on a park bench with a cane next to him
Birds chasing after crumbs that have just been thrown onto the ground
Forces of nature – the sun setting or rising, a full moon, stars, clouds, snowflakes
Plants – a magnificent landscape, a flower up close, the bark of a tree, leaves
Music – classical, jazz, bluegrass, classics, rock ‘n roll, etc.
Books, musical instruments, stones, a piece of pottery
A conversation with anyone – including strangers
2. Slow down and observe.
Sure you can notice a beautiful rose in full bloom as you walk through a park.
But if you get up close, look at is magnificence, inhale its scent, and feel its petals
A deeper emotional chord is plucked.
You can look at the old man on the park bench as you jog by.
And ‘have a moment’ where you feel some emotion stirring inside of you.
But what if you took even 5 minutes, sat down, and observed him?
What might you notice about him? His eyes and hands?
Can you imagine what journey he has taken to get to where he is today – and how he experiences being old?
What do you feel? Maybe empathy, curiosity, admiration, sadness?
Do you experience a connection?
3. Create A Sacred Space
An ordinary place – indoors or outdoors – can be transformed into a sacred space.
It can be as simple as having a candle, a flower in a vase, stones, shells, quartz.
Make the space special for yourself – so that when you come daily to do your spiritual practice
Or to sit quietly and just ‘be’.
The sacred space welcomes you with joy and love.
4. Have A Daily Spiritual Practice
Find a time or place when you feel more open and emotional. Be silent.
It might be after meditating, writing, playing or listening to music or chanting, being in nature, walking, or cooking.
It might be having some poetry, quotes, or reflective thoughts at hand that lift your spirits.
It might be some kind of religious ritual.
Lean into how you’re feeling. If you give yourself permission to prolong that experience, what happens?
There is no one way to practice.
Discover and experiment with the spiritual practices that work for you.
Use them to help open your heart.
“Slowly you will become a master of your own bliss, a chemist of your own joy, with all sorts of remedies always at hand to elevate, cheer, illuminate, and inspire your every breath and movement.” Sogyal Rinpoche
5. Be In Nature
It never fails. Nature is an infinite source of inspiration.
Be alert.
Be mindful.
Be in silence.
Observe. Listen. Smell. Touch.
Do you see the flower growing out of the crack in the pavement?
Or the bird gliding through the air with unbridled freedom?
The brilliant stars that are gazing at you in the dark of night?
How the waves are lashing against the shore?
Do you see the magnificence in everyday things?
And in yourself?
Sure you can notice a beautiful rose in full bloom as you walk through a park.
But if you get up close, look at is magnificence, inhale its scent, and feel its petals.
A deeper emotional chord is plucked.
This touched a chord with me Fran…love the Joseph Campbell quote.
And grateful thanks for the link. 🙂
Elle –
Am so glad that those words touched you. xxoo-Fran
Hi Fran,
This is a Special post. Right from the opening quote which really grabbed my attention through to the final word.
Thank You.
Be good to yourself
David
David-
Thanks so much. It came from the heart- Fran
Fran,
I like your last strategy best. I can definitely relate to that. I love to walk through nature, and observe the subtle nuances of life and the natural world. It fascinates and invigorates me, but at the same time it is calming. Well done with this list. Thank you for sharing.
Victor-
I know that you are a nature lover from reading your blog ~ yes, it is calming – I call it ‘silent exuberance’ because it infuses our soul with a passion – although quiet – is it powerful. Thanks for your comment. Fran
Reading this made me smile as I invisioned the little joys you were writing about. I find myself seeing & feeling things that noone around me seems to notice. Very Nice Read Indeed 🙂
Debra-
Thanks for your kind words. You are one blessed lady for feeling and seeing things that bring beauty and joy into your life. Fran
This post made me smile today. And whenever I see flowers in bloom, it always seem to lift my spirits up.
James –
Your comment made me smile. Thank you. How true about flowers ~ without even knowing it, their ‘being’ inspires our souls. Fran
Fran,
This is such a beautiful post and because I am so busy and distracted with all I have to do I almost didn’t take the time to read it!
I’m so glad I did. I too the need the reminder to slow down and experience the rapture of being alive.
Thank you – thank you my friend.
Angela
Dear Angela-
I know how busy and fragmented your life is these days so I’m glad that post helped you to remember how YOU are an incredible person who certainly does know about the beauty and joy of being alive. xxoo
Fran,
I have never really thought so much about the word rapture. It’s meaning fits the word perfectly! Thank you for your tips… it’s hard to pick a favorite but I think being in nature is a big one for me!! And thanks for sharing the Joseph Campbell quote. I’ve been rediscovering him lately and have never seen that passage.
Thanks for the inspiration!!
Betsy-
I originally looked at the meaning of the words – love, passion, joy. And Although there was some overlapping with them (surprisingly very few with love), once I re-connected with Joseph Campbell’s work and saw the word ‘rapture’, I knew that it was on target.
I don’t know if you ever saw the PBS interviews that Bill Moyers did with Campbell. But they had an entire generation of ‘seekers’ riveted. He made a significant cultural impact with his well known phrase ‘Follow your bliss’. 🙂 Fran
Hi Fran,
This was an excellent post written in a beautiful way!
As I was reading down your post, it made me realise the importance of really using our senses in an objective way, and reminded me of the importance of silence and truly being in the present moment.
Thank you.
Hiten-
Silence is highly underrated in our society – as is contemplation. Most of us talk and make more noise than we need to. As a dear friend of mine said ‘You can learn more by listening than by talking.’ Fran
Hi Fran – I’ve definitely been doing more of this of late. Being aware of when things move me emotionally or when I notice something extremely awe-inspiring. Just to take a few minutes to observe, take in the awe 🙂 and be inspired! A couple days back, I saw the most unbelievable formation of doves flying in unison while driving. I literally said out loud, “oh my God”. thankfully I stopped for a red light and was able to watch these pristine white birds fly in formation. It was a divine moment and we have them all around us – we just need to notice them:)
If anything will make you stop, listen, and shed a few moving tears it’s a really good song. I’ve been looking for ways to stop and slow down lately, so thank you for the great tips! I like the idea of being observant to others’ emotional pull. That’s a good way to connect with humanity, which is always something that makes me feel alive.
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