For one human being to love another: that is perhaps the most difficult of all tasks, and the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation.
~ Rainer Maria Rilke
As men we were often taught that the center of our universe is work, that we are only satellites orbiting our occupations. We were told that our country is the focal point of the world, and that we must defend her at all costs. With good intentions our dads showed us that we should focus on our families’ external needs: food on the table, clothes on our backs, and a roof over our heads.
Now we men are searching for our truest center – the spiritual focal point of our bodies and souls. From this newly discovered center we can still serve our jobs, our country, our families, but we’ll do so in ways that our fathers and grandfathers never dreamed possible.
Through time and recovery, we learn that it’s not a “selfish” act to become Self-worthy. By first giving our attention to what is essential in our own life, more will be accomplished, more will be healed, more will be helped, and less damage will be done.
Today I take a deep breath, and it carries me to the center of my being. It is that center I share with every man, a center of pure love, passion, truth, strength, gentleness, and beauty.
Excerpt from A Quiet Strength: Meditations on the Masculine Soul