You can’t go home again because home has ceased to exist, except in the mothballs of memory.
John Steinbeck
And I know things now, many valuable things,
That I hadn’t known before.
Do not put your faith in a cape and a hood,
They will not protect you the way that they should.And take extra care with strangers,
Even flowers have their dangers,
And though scary is exciting…
Nice is different than good.Now I know, don’t be scared,
Granny is right: just be prepared.Isn’t it nice to a lot?
“I Know Things Now”
… and a little bit … not.
Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim
I don’t know that I entirely agree with Mr. Steinbeck. I do think it’s true that we can “never go home again,” but not because of the mothballs of memory or whatever. For me, I couldn’t ever really return home because I was different — not because it was.
With every quest and endeavor, no matter how successful, we are changed. And we can’t expect to slot back into our lives exactly as we had before because we know so much more.
Now it is better. Now we are free from the parts we used to play.
Now we can live!
“Freedom to Live!” Activities
Journal Prompt
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
— Galatians 5:13
Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything – anger, anxiety, or possessions – we cannot be free.
— Buddha
- Looking back the last few weeks, what did you expect to unearth on this journey? How is that different than what you have discovered? Or is it the same? I tend to assume that things will go differently than we intended, but maybe — for you — you have accomplished exactly what you’d hoped! Write it down.
- What do you hope to carry forward from this time? Are there habits (yoga, meditation, journaling … something else?) you want to continue? If so, what is your plan for this? Do you have a yoga studio or a meditation app lined up? Use this time to make a plan.
If you have completed the journal prompts above, then simply let yourself write for ten minutes without any rules or restrictions. Consider the prompts, your previous journal entries this week, and just let your pen go!
Yoga Flow
Many thanks to The Mercedes Club, Hell’s Kitchen, NY, for letting me record these yoga flows in their gorgeous yoga studio.
This program is presented by James Donegan / JDFitNYC and has no relationship with Equinox, Mercedes Club or any other facility where Mr. Donegan is employed. Any one participating in a physical activity, especially those who may be pregant or nursing, should consult a physician before beginning a physical exercise program.
Nothing that appears in this blog or on this website is intended to treat or diagnose any disorder, physical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before beginning any exercise program.