One of many fragmented factoids rushing around my frontal lobe,

tugging my awareness back to the reality that I belong in this body as part of a whole.

Especially at night,
amidst the busy city sounds,
I can carefully weed out a sense of connectedness as I look outside my sixth floor apartment window.
Cities are strange creatures.
Meeting points for millions who long to be part of something, separately.

Community without connection.

A million people who are living alone, together.

We’ve learned one way or another that opening our heart is risky,
and are taught to play safe.
Pad that bank account, medical benefits, insurance, nest eggs, back up plans A to Z.

Rarely clutching to the exhilaration of being truly, presently alive.
It’s not safe to live with such recklessness.
So we starve our souls for the “just incase’s” for the “what if’s”
for every situation that could possible go wrong.

We stifle our dreams with screaming alarm clocks.
We block out or inner voice.
We inundate ourselves daily with constant chatter
because surrendering to silence can be risky and uncomfortable.

But discomfort endured can be a sign of something shifting,
an inner awareness slowly stretching itself awake.
Sometimes the difference then between pain and discomfort, is growth versus resistance.

You can decide if you want to go the distance.

Throw caution to the wind, embrace the possibility.
The dream is just waiting to be actualized.
There is an untapped source of joy that comes with living dangerously.

There is an ocean of unknown that is waiting for me.

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Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock

Photo: pixoto