Deep Rest

I thought I knew the reason.

So often we move into something thinking we understand the why, the how, perhaps even all the other W's. The why and the how are always the ones that captivate me. More often than not, I am up in my head and my intellect is in charge.

I'm going to borrow from a friend who is blogging these days about spiritual correspondences deep within the superhero movies. I'm not really going to do that myself, but a conversation we had recently has me thinking about it. Years ago I wrote several sermon series and spiritual pieces around themes in the Lord of the Rings movies and for several years I designed my confirmation program at church around movies. They tend to bypass the ego and our defenses are down while watching, so the lessons come more easily than at other times. 

I've been catching up this week on a few that I've missed. 

Did I tell you that I love superhero movies?

I have a couple of shelves of them on my tv stand. And they're not all about comic book heroes. I have others, like The Last Samurai and King Arthur. It's been awhile since I watched so I'm not recalling all the titles I own and have loved over the years. Until the Marvel Universe started to emerge recently, my favorite superhero was Aragorn. He still is, actually. 

Today I watched Doctor Strange. It was like looking in the mirror. I'd like to watch it again before I make any other definitive statements, but I will say that it certainly has me thinking.  Especially about the ways that we can be so sure of our path and then suddenly are diverted by complete loss. It sets our feet on another path. 

Still ours, but unrecognizable.

His reactions when he first receives the teachings of the spiritual master were eerily familiar, especially the panic in his face as he struggles to understand something he can't quite grasp. His struggles to let go of what he thinks he knows so he can be open to learning something new. His disbelief that his life has become something he never planned. His shock over not being in control.

Deep rest enables us to create space to see. To receive. 

I thought I knew the reason I came here. To work. But I have surrendered to another day of rest between finishing one piece of big work and beginning the next. Today is a day we celebrate freedom. I am giving myself the freedom of "not doing" so that I can let my imagination run wild. I won't say where it's going, but it certainly is fun. 

And mind bending. 

In the fashion of Doctor Strange.  




The Summer of Self-Love is a daily writing practice created to harness three months for thriving. The goal at the end is to host a dinner party. Sounds like an odd Hero's Journey, doesn't it? Most of them usually are.