The woman was accustomed to decorating herself with a wand and dark dust.
Your eyebrows are too red!—They shouted at her from the ashfault.
Pffft, the woman said, flicking the rain clouds. She walked through the mud, caressing the earth, kicking clumps of grass toward her calves.
Pfft, she whistled at the stars: I skip stones from fear to freedom.

Thighs covered in wet petals,
she danced like a strip of silk under the blurry sky.

— Seraphina Dawn

What makes a life worth living?

This has been my inquiry for the past week.

My philosophy is rooted in the practice of Bhakti, which translates from Sanskrit as Devotion.

Devotion is the act of being a little kinder, of offering compassion and well wishes.

: It is the spiritual path, the road for the wild ones, the mantra of the mystics, and the power behind each action performed for the greater good rather than oneself.

The woman was accustomed to decorating herself with a wand and dark dust.

I’ve been terribly sick this month with a sinus infection that has made it difficult to sleep, eat, and read.

When life gets uncomfortable, I tend to seek refuge outside of myself. I haven’t been able to do that in this situation since any outward gaze results in a headache.

Moments like these are where I learn the most about myself. I’ve had to stop everything and go inward.

Hence the question: what makes a life worth living?

My focus has been on how I breathe, move, and think. In this practice, I’ve discovered that much of my inner world has shifted: I cannot do things the way I used to.

Pffft, the woman said, flicking the rain clouds.

Something inside of me has settled in such a way that my usual routine no longer fits. I’m like the child who has outgrown their favorite sweater: what was once cozy is too tight.

I feel like my sickness is cleaving a space for me to sit back and observe the temporal influence of my surroundings: my thoughts, emotions, conversations, and actions. As these things continue to change, there’s something much deeper within that is eternal, unchanging, and true.

Hope - Beauty - Resilience - Honesty - Courage.
(My recipe for living a life of integrity.)

Pfft, she whistled at the stars: I skip stones from fear to freedom.

I am discovering the simple yet nourishing effect of inner transformation with age. I don’t need to move much outside of myself: the work occurs from the inside.

Self-reflection is becoming the single most important piece of my character development. Who I become depends on how much of the past I can analyze, integrate, and understand about myself.

The unseen metamorphosis: the girl looks the same, but you notice how her smile has softened on closer inspection.

You might ask why, or you may not notice. You might want it for yourself; you might try it on to see how it fits.

Thighs covered in wet petals,
she danced like a strip of silk under the blurry sky.

So, what makes a life worth living?
Little Revelations - read it here.
I Crave Beauty - read it here.
Divine Intervention - read it here.

Wishing you well,
Seraphina.

I gave a short lecture and presentation on what it means to fan the flames of inspiration with tips for writers ~ You can watch it here.

Quote to F O C US Your Attention -

≌ “We change the world not by what we say or do but as a consequence of what we have become.”
—David R. Hawkins

4 questions to brew on:

• What are you devoted to?

• What work will you bring into the world in 2024?

• Where is your container?

• What is one thing you want to do really well?