Openness is a wide, receptive, accepting state, a state that can contain all things. It’s free from self-effort and agendas and allows all emotions to be present, making room for options to emerge and compassion to arise.
–Janetti Marotta in 50 Mindful Steps to Self-Esteem
The Space Between
There are two worlds.
One you see by looking at.
The other you see by looking through.
In this world you are invited
To look at the space between the leaves.
Here, you see the
Stars that twinkle in the light of the day.
Eyes of loved ones
Watching over you.
Here, in the other world,
When you see the trail of wildebeest
On their long migration for water,
You witness the river itself.
The flow of generations
Who have carved the course
In the current
Of ancient time.
High in the blue sky
A crocodile emerges in the long pointed cloud,
While a hippo begins to show itself
In the one that billows.
The ever changing nature of impermanence—
Appearing and disappearing,
Leaving no trace.
There in the tightly woven grove
Of straight trunk trees,
Stand Maasai warriors—
Guardians of the herd
Of visions and dreams.
In the other world,
In the space between,
Is the passageway of time.
All who have passed beyond.
All who will pass into.
And all who will pass through
Again and again.
-Janetti Marotta
Mindful Noting Practice: Openness
When you cultivate the qualities for mindful self-esteem, you plant the seed of openness.
Start by recognizing when you’re shutting down and losing touch with yourself. What strong emotion is being felt i.e. fear? How do you react to this emotion i.e. withdrawing?
To cultivate openness ask yourself the following questions: How can you open up or soften to this emotion i.e. call a friend? What unresolved issue is being triggered i.e. afraid to fail or succeed? What do you need that you’re not giving yourself i.e. forgiveness?
“What lies behind us and what lies before us
Are tiny matters,
Compared to what lies
Within us.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
