And told me to tie a knot for every person I have hurt

The first knot I tied was for myself

If that knot did not exist

There would be none after it

Staircases

Imagine if there were a spiraling staircase in your mind, and your life is the journey of walking down to the ground floor. Except on every floor, there is a locked door in your way. And we all have the keys to each other’s doors but not our own. So when we encounter the human beings in our life, they can give us a key without even realizing it. But the trick is we have to be present enough to receive the message. We have to learn how to listen for the key. And when we don’t, when we focus on the story rather than the lesson, we stay on the same floor. Never deepening further into who we are. But if we go beyond our day-to-day experiences and remember that every single moment was chosen by us so we can find the next key, we won’t become trapped in stagnation. And eventually we’ll become so integrated in the wisdom of our own being that we’ll remember who we are. We’ll find the ground floor and reflect back, going, “Ah yes, I see why that had to happen. That was my golden key.”

Self-Worth

Self-worth is a funny thing

Most days it’s like trying to see myself

Through a funhouse mirror

And believing my warped reflection

Is the person standing here

I’m waiting for the day my perception becomes clear

But reality is a trick of the senses

That my mind tries to define

When reality is undefinable

And looks different through every eye

I watch my heart try to protect itself with pretty walls

But true beauty is what happens

When they finally crumble and fall

Am I truly honest with myself?

Or has vulnerability become another slogan to hide behind

Instead of my feelings honestly being felt?

My sorrow and joy exist on the same line

But I can’t walk that line

If from myself I try and hide

Beauty

Beauty is in the details of a person. Those little quirks that may not be obvious on the surface until you make someone feel safe enough to be themselves. It is their imperfections that are often the most interesting. Beauty lives in the smallest of moments, like the warmth of two hearts pressed together, and the sound of a deep breath. Beauty is in the truth that, once someone is a part of your heart, they will be forever. Even if “I love you” becomes “I have to leave you now.” Life is long and love is messy, but you will forever occupy a chapter of their story. Beauty is hidden in the most unlikely places, because the most breathtaking things do not demand attention. They quietly invite you to look a little deeper. Whether it’s the way the rain feels on your skin or a flower smells blooming in the rocky desert, you can open your heart by falling in love with the beauty of this world again and again.