Haiku

Auspicious day
flying high like a great bird
peace arises.

Haiku

Ceaseless currents
coursing deep into the soul
happy windfall.

Haiku

One majestic thing
praising each breath we have
feed the spirit.

Haiku

Morning run
mango sellers jiving
sweet jubilation.

Haiku

Nothing lasts
except what is pure and true –
wholesome oblations.

Haiku

How happy the mind
waltzing in the dewy dawn
palms unbound.

Haiku

Travel within
exchange makes the world shake
perception alights.

Haiku

Spending time with you
benevolent restorer
streaming into hope.

“Beauty is truth – truth beauty” – The Way of Integrity by Martha Beck

Countless books are published every year in the field of self-help. promising to improve your life, like some kind of quick-fix twelve step program, that will change who you are, instantly, guaranteed results! Obviously, there are many beautiful books written that have and will continue to have a huge impact on millions of people’s lives. Yet sometimes it can feel a bit difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff, such is the onslaught that is the personal development industry. Notwithstanding the fact that it is big business, I believe wholeheartedly that reading a few titles a year in this genre, if they resonate and come with bona fide recommendations, can have a massive effect on how we think, feel and act, as we strive to give meaning to our lives and understand this crazy, beautiful world that surrounds us.Having first listened to Martha Beck talking to Jay Shetty on his podcast, “On Purpose” about her new book, “The Way of Integrity“, a few months back, I made a mental note at the time that this felt like a book I needed to read. Well, some months later, in the rich fullness of a glorious Autumn, I am heartened to say that this more than lived up to expectation. Martha Beck has written a book that is necessary, profound, important, vital and chimes with humanity’s anxieties in modern times.

The central tenet of Martha’s book is that we can only fully embrace love when we are at one with ourselves (our nature) and living a life of integrity, “the path to true love – true anything – is the way of integrity.” Drawing upon her own life story, with its many challenges, and observations of those lives whom she has helped along the way, Martha paints a compelling picture that if we do the work and acknowledge how integrity is the bedrock for all that we do and are in life, then the world will indeed open to us and we will lead happier and more fulfilled lives. 

Taking Dante’s “The Divine Comedy” as a framework, Martha takes us on a journey on how we can move from a state of error through the realms of Inferno and Purgatory, before ending up in Paradise. Ultimately, the journey doesn’t end, but what I found especially striking was the manner in which she doesn’t patronise her reader; instead, she writes with great compassion and clarity, providing a series of exercises throughout as we strive to get a better understanding of our relationship with perhaps the most important person in our life: our self.

A sign of a good book for me is when I feel the urge to annotate furiously in the margins or simply want to scream an unabashed “Yes” as I reach the end of a sentence. This happened throughout “The Way of Integrity“. Here are a few quotes, which struck a chord with me:

On shattering false assumptions:

“It means replacing rigid convictions with curious openness, to your own sense of truth in every moment.” (Chapter 6)

On lies and deception:

“Any lie, even an unconscious one, splits us from integrity.”

(Chapter 8)

On freedom:

“The ultimate freedom lies in our capacity to interpret the world in new ways.”

There are many more which I could add. This book truly is a treasure trove of wisdom. Martha doesn’t provide easy answers to life’s obstacles; rather, she encourages us to see that we are capable of so much joy and contentment if we take a pickaxe to our false beliefs and realise this vital truth – that when we are in alignment with our core values, how much richer and more radiant life becomes.Who is this book aimed at? Essentially, it is for anyone who is curious about wanting to live a life that is truer, freer and more aligned with their inner beliefs. And anyone who is simply fascinated by personal development, spiritual growth, and psychology. Covid-19 has affected all of us in myriad ways, but maybe the most conspicuous way it has challenged us is our relationship with ourselves, as we have come face to face with mortality and the intrinsic brevity of life. In the end, this is the most important relationship we will cultivate, during the brief time we have on Earth, alongside all those other soul-nourishing relationships we nurture. It is only when we think, feel, live and act with honesty and pure intention, that we can fully reveal who we are and embrace life with a sense of wholeheartedness and courageous compassion. Thank you Martha Beck for writing such a beautiful and enlightening book, reminding this particular reader that love, integrity and harmony are inextricably connected:

“You are lovable. You are loved. You are love.”

Meditation 21: Mountain

Even when I am unable

to walk upon you,

your presence flares in my heart,

mountain of boundless joy,

weathered by time’s footprints.

What secrets do you hold?

What mysteries are you willing to reveal?

This love affair will never end.

From “52 Meditations“.