The Mysterious Heart Love is an endless mystery,
for it has nothing else to explain it.
- Rabindranath Tagore
The Enchanting and Mysterious Heart By: Mohammad Bardi A Romance was originally the tale of an adventure, such as the story of a knight on a quest (it derives from the Old Frence romanz - meaning ‘verse narrative’) which later became fused with the idea of a love story. So to embark on a love affair - whether with a passion, person, project or purpose - is the beginning of a story with an unknown ending. From cliffhangers in soaps to that moment where the door creaks in horror movies, suspense and uncertainty is essential for maintaining our interest in stories. So the stories of our hearts are likewise nourished by a sense of mystery. The Mystery of the Beloved A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other. - Charles Dickens The phrase ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ suggests that those engaged with each other on a daily basis have lost a sense of mystery and wonder about each other. Whether it is with members of our families, our partners, children of friends, the idea that we ‘know’ each other can start to erode the beauty of our relationships. We start to construct assumptions, expectations and projections and lose our curiosity about each other. The truth is that everyone of us is engaged in a daily adventure in which we change and grow, sometimes very subtly sometimes dramatically. We are potentially new beings everyday, therefore are always unknowable. Our ability to look with fresh eyes and perceive the mystery in one other ignites the ‘spark’ in relationships - it’s scintillating, seductive and sexy. The Mystery of Creativity It is the mystery of the creative act that something other than our conscious self takes over.
- Arthur Erickson Artists of every genre have described the process of suspending their normal everyday state in order to create. Following our creative passions requires putting our rational mind in the back seat and letting our intuition drive. This means taking a step into the unknown and following hunches, instincts and left field ideas on a wild and wonderful adventure. There may be dead-ends, U turns, reversals or complete abandonment of the initial idea to pursue something different as we go along - all of which can be welcomed as part of the process of growth. As many of us were conditioned at school to ‘know’ the right answer in order to succeed, this can all appear terrifying, and we may get stuck at the starting blocks. The passion and genius of our unique song and story remains locked away inside us until we give ourselves permission to say ‘I don’t know’ and to follow the call of mystery. The Mystery of Knowing The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery. - Anais Nin Knowledge is of course a powerful tool - the knowledge of medicine can save lives and a sense of inner knowing can bring a sense of confidence and self-direction. The paradox is that the gaining of knowledge requires the ability to recognise that there is something new to be discovered. In this way knowledge is always enfolded and nourished by a sense of mystery. It is the sense of adventure contained in the unknown that has scientists, explorers, artists and lovers embarking into unknown waters in their labs, boats, studios and bedrooms. The yearning to learn and to love requires us to be vulnerable - to take the risk of opening our hearts to the great unknown. The desire to be known is underpinned by our need to remain unknown. When we remain connected to our curiosity, life becomes a love affair, a romance of the heart in which our companions are as endlessly mysterious as the journey itself.
If you’d like to recapture the Spark of delight in your creative, songful self-expression, please join me at a special SongSparkle workshop on March 2nd. Wishing you a magical, mysterious Valentine’s Day
5 Ways to Make Space for Mystery in Life
* Leave gaps in your diary for surprises
* Refresh your routines - wear your watch on the other hand, take a different route home
* Notice new details in familiar places and faces
* Listen for and celebrate growth and changes in your loved ones and yourself
* Take a creative step - the first line on a blank page, the first note of a song, the first splash of paint on the canvas, the first word in a conversation.