At the center of our beings we know we were meant for more—meant to know ourselves and be known, to forgive and be forgiven, to grasp the gift of life with both hands, experience it to the full, and share that gift with others.
Without intentional awakening, we find ourselves performing life to someone else's script... or to meet the demands of an increasingly dehumanizing marketplace. This is mere surviving, not thriving. Awakening to the fullness of what life has to offer opens the door to peace and vitality, clarity about what is yours to do... and what isn't.
When we awaken, we discover our strengths and our limitations. We are freed to leap into service and, when we do, beautiful things often occur. When we make mistakes, and we will, we are quick to acknowledge them and to ask forgiveness when it is required.
When we awaken, people around us sense our integrity and are often inspired to deepen their own lives. We usually aren't aware when this is happening. Rather, when we awaken, we experience other people and the more than human world as reaching out to us with a surprising benevolence. Problems and pain don't vanish, yet some deep part of us holds these with a wider sense of compassion, and even joy.
This is Awakening. This is what we are about at Soularize 2022, Illuman's annual men's gathering in New Mexico. Join us November 3-6 for rituals, stories, nature wanderings, and contemplative practices that will help us grasp this gift of a fully awakened life.
