How I Got Here
Over the past four months I’ve been posting a beautiful love poem on my Facebook feed each day.
In August, I featured Ovid (43 BC – AD 17/18), a Roman poet during the reign of Augustus, who I was introduced to by my first year University of Toronto Classics professor (quite the character, he fell off the podium from his chair during one of his impassioned lectures, quickly got up and kept on going!). Ovid was the first poet of his time who transitioned from writing about the glory of just being a poet to the power of love over people. When you think about it, he wrote his beautiful words over 2,000 years ago – amazing still their emotive power, their timelessness.
In September, Rumi took center stage, a 13th century Persian poet born in Afghanistan. I was drawn to him by the hundreds of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts quoting him that I’ve seen over the years. From what I’ve read about him, fundamentally, his entire life’s literary works teach us how to reach inner peace and happiness, which he believes will stop hostility and hatred and lead to global peace and harmony. Given all this, its easy to understand why he is considered one of the most, if not the most, quoted poet by people in the Western world, if not even globally.
In October, I went back to my undergrad roots in English to present some of my favourite classic poetry from the Elizabethan era to the Romantic period – including that from two of my very favourites: Shakespeare and Lord Byron. These brilliant literary giants were incredibly skilled in presenting complex ideas and emotions in such delectable language. I would also suggest, in language truly symphonic in structure – meaning that these masterpieces come to life and stir the soul when read aloud.
In November, as part of my exploration to find the best examples of love poetry, I shared many brilliant verses by some of the most revered Scottish poets from years gone by and today. From what I recall from my undergrad roots in History, it is said that the impact of the Scottish Enlightenment in the 18th and 19th centuries, from an intellectual and scientific accomplishment perspective – for example, think Adam Smith, James Watt, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, – invented the modern world as we know it. The core values rising out of the Scottish Enlightenment era, which resonate today, include improvement, virtue, and practical benefit for the individual and society. Reasonable way to move forward in this big world of ours, each value tinging with a notion of love.
Over these months, I’ve shared these powerful inspiring words and verses for two complimentary reasons – I believe the world needs more love than ever before, thus, I need to give and receive love more than ever before. Love is the greatest thing about being human, and as the song goes, you get what you give. Whether self-love, love of family and friends, or romantic love. I am grateful for all the love in my life – and for the past year and a half, I have been and am working on opening myself up to receive it without fear or hesitation and to share more of it, unconditionally and from the heart without overthinking it.
Posting the beautiful love poetry was my first step. Thanks to all the self-care work I’ve been doing (with the loving support of so many of you), and since attending Robin Sharma’s Personal Mastery Academy (June 2016, 2017), his Titan Summit in Dec 2016 (and again next week), and Alex Charfen’s Momentum Masterclass just recently in Sept 2017 – particularly completing Alex’s incredibly insightful personal congruency exercise – I have come to realize that I have been misaligned in my life because I have not fully pursued expressing my innate talent of writing – which I absolutely love to do.
Starting tomorrow, Dec 2nd, I will be sharing my writing with the world – my poems, my reflections, and, what I like to call, my snips (brief insights) via a new blog I’m launching on WordPress. My writing will have overarching themes of love, connections, and relationships. It is influenced by the many amazing people in my life – my family and my friends, all very special lights – and my wonderful experiences with them. And is also influenced by the beauty I see in the world – in nature, art, music and literature. Beauty is how love reflects light from the soul. It is all around us, it is in all of us – and it is what I want to contribute back into the world with my writing.
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