“Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.”
Anais Nin
I love this powerful wisdom from John O’Donohue about change. His words remind us we cannot live in possibility and mystery, if we keep holding onto our old stories of suffering and pain. Not easy to do, I know. However, unless we have the courage to leave one way of being and enter another, without looking back; we will never feel the deep freedom that transformation gives us.
“It remains a dream of every life to realize itself, to reach out and lift oneself up to greater heights. A life that continues to remain on the safe side of its own habits and repetitions, that never engages in the risk of ones own possibility, remains an unlived life.
Looking back along our life’s journey, we come to see how each of the central phases of our life began at a decisive threshold where we left one of way of being, and entered another.
A threshold is not simply an accidental line that happens to separate one region from another. It is an intense frontier that divides a world of feeling from another. Often the threshold becomes clearly visible only once we have crossed it.
Crossing can often mean the total loss of all we enjoyed, while on the other side; it becomes a dividing line between the past and the future. More often than not, the reason we cannot return to where we were is that we have changed, we are no longer the one who crossed over.
The word threshold is related to the word thresh, which is the separation of the grain from the husk or straw when oats are flailed. It also includes the notions of entrance, crossing, border and beginning. To cross a threshold is to leave behind the husk and arrive at the grain.”
John O’Donohue – To Bless the Space Between us.
LIVING IN THIS MOMENT 
Live this Karen esp: To cross a threshold is to leave behind the husk and arrive at the grain
Yes love that too! 👏
O’Donohue is so wise. His description of a threshold resonates deeply… “an intense frontier that divides a world of feeling from another.” Yes, yes, yes!
A beautiful description of change and its challenges!! 💕💚
change takes place in all of life, we can choose to embrace it or challenge it, but it will occur regardless
Exactly Beth. Might as well move with it and live fully! 💕
Yet we remain scared of transformation. Yet we cling on to whatever is familiar. Even when we are forced to transform, we try to hold onto little bits and pieces from our old life and prolong our agony. Only in embracing change can we “feel the deep freedom that transformation gives us”.
Your comment is so true. I remember resisting this for many years through my grief, and I know it takes deep courage to walk through the intense frontier, but if I had known the deep freedom I would feel, I would have run towards it fearlessly!! Thank you 💕
I love these two quotes. I’m coming across things that are so fitting for where I am at this moment in my life. Bless you for sharing these profound words.
Bless you for stepping out in courage to create change! 🙏🏻💕
“We cannot live in possibility and mystery, if we keep holding onto our old stories of suffering and pain. Not easy to do, I know. However, unless we have the courage to leave one way of being and enter another, without looking back; we will never feel the deep freedom that transformation gives us.” Oh, this is really good. Amen, amen, amen. And the in-between can be gut wrenching, but the payoff is worth it!
Yes that’s it! The in-between is the hard work each day, but definitely worth it!! 💕
Reblogged this on 3bones and commented:
I don’t often reblog another blogger’s WordPress post, there’s something about reblogging (to me anyway) that feels almost like plagiarism. Like I said, it “feels” like that to me. I just hope Karen from “Living In This Moment” doesn’t mind that I am doing so, but here goes. I always find the posts on Karen’s blog insightful, elegant and compassionate. Thought provoking and meaningful, this post spoke to me as Karen’s blog always tends to do …
Thank you so much. I appreciate you sharing O’Donohue’s powerful wisdom and for your kind words. 🙏🏻✨
I’ve made many changes, taken many risks.I’ve kept the thresholds. But at this age, it’s changing.
A few weeks ago I was in Mexico, alone, as I have been many, many times. I was on a familiar beach that I’ve walked for a dozen years. But suddenly, it seemed too long, too remote for an older woman alone.
I turned back. Was I feeling the tingling of an actual risk to me up ahead? Or simply the vulnerability age? Or the reality of being a woman alone? I don’t know. But it made me very sad.
Thank you for sharing so deeply Emilie. We are always learning to face changes and challenges in life, but most of our fears are illusions or old beliefs that feel like the truth now. As I have learned to connect to Mother Earth, father sky, and the energy of love in nature and in life, I have understood, I cannot be alone. You are apart of something far greater than your thoughts and fears. Sending you lots of love and connection Emilie 💕
Thanks for sharing
Your welcome 🌈
Karen, thanks for your blog. John O’Donohue’s books are always close at hand to inspire and heal. Don
I agree Don, O’Donohue was a gifted man. His time with us was too short but were filled with wisdom and inspiration. 🙏🏻🌈