The Adventure 

Thanks to everyone who has agreed to participate in the launch campaign for my book The Adventure, which is published in a month or so. It’s very kind of you! If anyone else would like to join, all you need to do is pre-order a copy of the book and then write to [email protected], leaving your name and country.  

This is the final front and back cover of the book. The publication of a new book is always a busy time - interviews, articles and talks - but I’m looking forward it. It’s wonderful to help bring a new book into the world! It's a little like having a child. There was a time when my book publications were running parallel with my children, but I stopped producing children after number 3! Fortunately I have continued to produce books.

 

New Event with My friend Serge 

On 19th December, I’m holding the latest in my series of dialogues and discussions with my good friend, the psychotherapist and author, Serge Beddington-Behrens. At this time of continuing global conflict, we will be discussing warfare from a psychological and perspective, looking at its cause and how we can transcend it. As usual, we will include a meditation and poem or two. Tickets are here

Two New Poems

As usual, let me finish with poetry. Over the last month, a couple of poems have come to me in the middle of night, on the verge of sleep. The main lines of the poems came to me from nowhere, along with the overall theme and structure. I wrote down the main lines in a semi-conscious state and finished them later. All glory to the muse!

The woman who lived slowly

They laughed at the woman who lived slowly
at how she sauntered instead of hurrying
and stopped to gaze at trees and clouds
at how she weighed her words before speaking 
and waited for intuition to guide her decisions.

They complained about the woman who lived slowly
because she never rushed to answer queries 
seemed oblivious to deadlines, impervious to pressure
and spent her days watching and listening to the world
instead of joining their frenetic activity.

But soon they respected the woman who lived slowly
for the wisdom of her quiet mind 
and the craft of her careful hands 
because the decisions she made slowly were right 
and the work she did slowly was perfect (beautiful).

And in the end, they loved the woman who lived slowly 
for the benevolence that arose from her stillness 
and the calmness that arose from her presence 
and the spirit that flowed through her purely
because she lived so slowly.
 

I looked Inside Myself

I looked outside myself for happiness 
but everything I found disappointed me. 
Beautiful places became familiar. 
Precious objects lost their lustre. 
Success and achievements felt hollow. 
No matter what I gained, it was never enough.  

I looked for love from others
but every love was incomplete.
Bliss turned to blame and betrayal. 
Bonds that seemed unbreakable
were worn away by clutching and clinging.
No matter who I loved, they let me down.

Then with nowhere else to turn, I looked inside myself. 
I found a space of being, as wide as the world. 
I learned to rest there, and sensed a natural ease
flowing like fresh water from an underground stream.  
I felt the warm glow of my essence, like an inner sun 
radiating pure love and acceptance.

Then I looked outside myself again
and saw beauty that never turned stale.
I savoured objects without wishing to own them. 
I felt content without success or achievement.  
I felt whole, so didn’t need others to complete me.   
I loved others without trying to possess them.

I looked outside myself again 
and found that I was happy 
and that I could love.

All best wishes and blessings, Steve