I believe that our internal thoughts shape our external world. I want my first thought of the day to be full of Love, Light, and good Energy, so I am mindful to lay the foundation for that. When I wake, I truly think “Oh Happy Day, *thank you* for this Happy Day!”. I have prepped enough in my life for this thought to be genuinely true. If my preparations were compromised–perhaps I didn’t get enough rest the previous night–and my first thought is anything but “Oh Happy Day, thank you for this Happy Day!” I quickly acknowledge it and change the tone. I want my first thought to be positive because that will set the tone for the rest of the day.
This Monday blessing series is my way of sharing a positive first thought for the week with you. Typically, people dread Monday, but I *love* Mondays. It is the first day of the week–fresh and clean–and sets the tone for the rest of the week. I’d like your first thought to be “Yay for Monday!” and let that energy build and create a positive joy filled week for you. Changing thoughts is about changing perspective, so many of the Monday topics are my way of seeing things in a Light different than you may.
Today’s Monday blessing is twofold. Please join me on Tess blog at http://theboldlife.com/2010/05/courage-strength-wisdom/ as I share with you my thoughts on how to deal with the “stuff” life hands you. And this Monday *my* blessing is….I am delighted to have Evita from http://evolvingbeings.com write the Monday blessing for you. Evita has such amazing Spirit–what she shares on her site opens my mind to new ideas and inspires me to embrace my own Energy and use it in ways bigger than I had previously imagined. Today she shares with us her perspective on dark…..Thank you Evita for visiting today….it is my honor to share this space with you!
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As the sun begins to bow down gracefully, the horizon puts out the fire of the flaming body of gold. It gives way to a new energy – the energy of the dark.
In our society the dark has been associated with all sorts of negative things. Horror movies, myths, and legends have paved the way for the worst of things happening in the dark. We have learned to fear, what is part of a natural and beautiful cycle.
I remember driving down country roads when I was younger, where the lights were scattered, barely illuminating the road. I remember the uneasy feelings and thoughts that used to cross my mind. “It would be so scary to get stuck here…”
I remember cottaging or coming back from an outdoor adventure in forests, and as the dark night took over, looking around and thinking thoughts like, “I think I would die if I got stuck here alone…”
Perhaps not everyone “fears” the dark, but the majority of us definitely don’t feel comfortable with it or in it.
I never gave this much thought, until earlier this year. While living in the city, one never really gets a taste of what real darkness is like and the blessing that it offers. And so we fear what we don’t know – isn’t that usually the case?
As I am in the midst of a move to a secluded, natural and wilderness-like area, I have had to give this topic some serious thought and confront my feelings about the dark.
My new home will be in a place, where during the night, as there are no street lights or other people’s home lights of any kind, the night is the darkest shade of black it can get. It is so black in fact, that one cannot see their hand, if holding it in front of their face. The experience is extremely humbling to say the least.
In this choice to move to a more natural lifestyle, I decided that I wanted to look again, and see with fresh eyes ALL of the elements of nature and this physical world – including the dark. I decided it was time to make friends with the dark, understand it better and develop my own ideas about it, not living off of what has been so often falsely instilled in me.
We as human beings of the 21st century live greatly by trying to control our external environment at all times. When it comes to the dark, we have become “lucky” to push away what is sometimes seen as a “nuisance”, thanks to electricity. But the dark, is a beautiful part of this world, as is the light.
How would we understand the light, without the dark?
Today, I invite you to re-discover the dark. Get to know it all over again. See it with fresh eyes, an open mind and a loving heart. See it as the blessing that it is.
As I stand outside in the dark of the blackest night where my new home will be, I am greeted by an infinite sparkle of stars above. It is calm. It is quiet. It is serene. It is peaceful. It is dark.
By re-discovering the dark, I am re-discovering myself. I am awakening senses within me that have been asleep for far too long. I am finding the comfort of not seeing with my eyes, but with my heart and soul. I am learning to navigate through the energy of the night. I am becoming one with the night.
Let your fear be replaced by peace – peace of knowing that you are safe. Leave behind old thoughts and conditioning and see the dark, feel the dark, experience the dark for yourself. And as you do, experience with it, a new you.
The dark presents us with so many amazing learning opportunities. It is a blessing.
Excerpts from “The Music of the Night” by Andrew Lloyd Weber
Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defenses
Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Close your eyes,
And surrender to your darkest dreams
Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before
Close your eyes, let you spirit start to soar
And you’ll live, as you’ve never lived before
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness that you know you cannot fight
Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world
Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before
Let your soul take you where you long to be
Only then can you belong to me
http://EvolvingBeings.com
http://EvolvingWellness.com
http://EvolvingScenes.com
**Please join me in this space this Wednesday as I share a special treat with you.
A slideshow of my Mother’s Day weekend sailing trip with the children.**
Much peace,
Joy
Unfolding Your Path to Joy 
#1 by unfoldingyourpathtojoy on May 10, 2010 - 11:44 am
Hi Evita,
Thank you for sharing your perspective on dark with us.
What a beautiful song– I tear up while I listen, because it captures the beauty of all I love about the dark. I am one of the few people who enjoy night sailing–to be out in the ocean, enclosed in Night, and all I can see with my eyes are the stars and the moon. I know everything else is there, I just can’t see it. Just me and Love/God/Night to keep me company. My heart leaps with joy at the thought! I also love to run my stretch of beach at night for the same reason. My feet know the way, for they have run countless laps during the day, and I glide over familiar territory using my senses instead of my mind. *That* is why I love night–my heart takes control, my senses are front and center–exactly how I choose to live, heart led. Everything I know and love during the light of day, but now my senses come alive as I experience it at night:)
#2 by Evita on May 10, 2010 - 6:00 pm
Hello Joy
It was such an honor and pleasure to be a guest here today Joy – thank you so much for the invite. I am enjoying the energy of your new site so much! And I had such a beautiful time writing this piece for the Monday blessing.
I loved how you described Monday’s – I have to agree – they are beautiful – a fresh and new beginning – the excitement of what a new week will bring!
Your story about sailing at night is so touching. I have never come close to doing anything like that, but I can imagine it must just be so amazing. In our area, I have heard of a man who lives up the lake/river who canoes every time there is a full or half moon at midnight or 2 am or so. I thought about how I would feel doing something like that myself…. not ready yet… but I know one day I will. The stillness of the night must be heavenly!
Thank you so much again Joy for having me here, and attaching the song was a pleasure as those words really speak to me as well. It is the one song I know that makes the night seem beautiful and accents all the blessings of the night. So many other, in fact all other songs I know, paint the night in a “dark” way – instead of shining the light and blessings of the dark for all to experience.
#3 by Jay Schryer on May 10, 2010 - 12:10 pm
Growing up on a farm in the middle of the woods, I suppose I have a different experience of the dark than most people. I’ve never been afraid of it; I actually enjoy being out in the dark. To me, being in the darkness represents security and peacefulness, but also alertness and awareness. The senses are sharpened, movement becomes more careful and deliberate, and thoughts are more easily kept in the present moment.
It’s funny how much of that I had forgotten until reading this post just now. I’ve spent the past couple of decades living in cities and never really being in the dark. Even in my home I use nightlights so I can see at night, never fully experiencing darkness like I used to. Perhaps it is time to change that, and rediscover that part of myself.
Thanks for a beautiful blessing!
#4 by Evita on May 10, 2010 - 6:03 pm
Hello Jay
Thank you for sharing your experience with the dark – past and present. It is so true, when we look at how our city lives are “lit” up, we really never do get to experience the stillness and beauty the darkness offers. There is indeed such a blessing in that.
This is why as I awaken to form a new relationship with the dark, I know that I am awakening in many ways a new part of myself – and the most exciting part for me, is indeed sharpening my senses – becoming more fully alive!
#5 by Joy Tanksley on May 10, 2010 - 2:44 pm
Thank you so much. I have honestly never given much thought to this, and I find it so exciting to come a cross a NEW idea on this Monday morning! How delightful. I’ve always rather liked the dark – wasn’t scared of it as a child, couldn’t sleep well if there was even a hint of light. I loved riding in the car at night – so peaceful! The darker the better. So this gives me a lot to reflect on today – what darkness means to me symbolically. Thanks again!
#6 by Evita on May 10, 2010 - 6:06 pm
Hi Joy
Well that is so exciting to hear!
And you know there is something that I share in common with you that you pointed out here – I cannot sleep if there is light. In fact in the morning hours, I have to put a pillow over my head to keep sleeping some mornings past 6 or 7am.
So I am so excited to sleep in complete darkness at night, but at the same time, I am excited to take on more natural cycles of life as I move to my new home. Going to sleep earlier, when darkness rolls over, and waking up when my body naturally wants to with the sun rising 🙂
Thank you for your comment!
#7 by Lance on May 10, 2010 - 3:35 pm
Joy,
It’s so good to be here today and read Evita’s words…she is a true inspiration to me!
Hi Evita,
Like Jay, I too grew up out in a very rural part of our world. Darkness was something of which I was very familiar. And still today, we live in a place that is filled with much darkness during the night (although I suspect not as dark as your new location…).
And I marvel at the dark. I think of times I’ve been out for a run in the early morning hours before the sun has risen…and the darkness is all around me. And there has been this real feeling of awe…there in the dark – and the vastness of it all.
Our world is such an amazing place – and I feel that even more deeply in moments of darkness (or near darkness). And I think that’s because I am seeing with my heart instead of my eyes. And with my heart – I believe that I can see deeper than with just my eyes alone. The thing is – when I’m viewing with my eyes, I can also tend to sometimes forget to view with my heart (and soul) also. And that’s where I see real beauty in the dark – in helping me to see at this deeper level….
#8 by Evita on May 10, 2010 - 6:09 pm
Hello Lance
Thank you as well for sharing your experience with the dark. I just love listening to how different people interact and embrace the tranquility of the dark. Your early morning jogs, sound like they are an incredibly refreshing way to start the day – nothing short of meditative!
And I love how you stated so beautifully that it is indeed with our heart and soul that we see the depth and beauty of our world better.
Thank you for your feedback and kind words always Lance 🙂
#9 by welcometojulieworld on May 10, 2010 - 7:40 pm
Evita, it’s funny, but I never think of that time of our day as “the dark.” I’ve always thought “nighttime.” I wish you an easy transition into a love affair with nighttime. There truly is much to bless about being outdoors in the night. I am sure you’ll find yourself feeling the blessing in it, too, and quite soon. After your first full-moon night, just watch how your feelings begin to shift… 🙂
Like Jay and Lance, I too was raised rural and am not afraid of the dark. In fact, I welcome it with wide open arms. I’m an early riser, not a night owl, but there’s something uniquely special about being outdoors in the nighttime hours. I love it. Sitting under the stars, wrapped in a soft blanket of darkness, I feel SO connected—and embraced by a completely other world. The stars watch over, the moon speaks, and all the night creatures, small and large, are friends. Being outdoors in the night is one of the most welcoming feelings ever! Peace surrounds and I grow both larger and smaller at the same time, and in simply sitting, being, I’m an accepted and integral part of the whole. This feeling, this special awareness isn’t nearly as readily apparent in daytime, nor do I feel it when indoors at night; it’s the outdoor night life that is so quietly vibrant and rich with life. In fact, when I awake during the night, I often walk outdoors just to greet my friends in the sky and be bathed in their light. It’s funny, I have no trouble seeing at night, outside. Starlight and moonlight are bright enough even in the blackest nights to allow me to see enough shapes to find my way. And on full-moon nights… Awesome! I believe, as Lance said, more of “me” comes forth; heart, other senses, all combine to create a special awareness that I treasure.
#10 by Evita on May 10, 2010 - 9:15 pm
Hi Julie
What an incredible expression and love affair you have with the night time darkness! Your experiences are just beautiful and I so thoroughly enjoyed reading your words.
I can imagine it must be something to walk out into the wild at night – there is a whole other world out there then. I remember a few times when we drove to what will be our new home at night just before midnight or so – the stillness was something I will never forget. Than I would hear a screeching owl, than the beating of the beaver tails against the water – and of course in the summer time, the amazing music of the crickets!
It is a joy to experience life at all levels so fully – thank you again for sharing a bit of your world 🙂
#11 by Tess The Bold Life on May 10, 2010 - 10:19 pm
Hi Joy and Evita!
I like Lance, Jay and Julie love the dark. I have no fear. I grew up on an 88 acre farm and we worked in the dark. We would would leave for the Farmer’s Market in the dark and arrive just as dawn was breaking. We would arrive home and after dinner we would load and unload the trucks in the dark for the following day.
We played in the dark with our siblings and cousins. There was a game and it required us to hide in the ditches. I was in awe of all of the “lightening bugs” surrounding me while the stars shown upon me. It required being. It would be so quiet we could hear our hearts beat.
When I first became a runner I refused to miss a day. Once I knew I wouldn’t get my run in unless I went early. I left home at 4 AM and ran into a mailbox on a rural road! LOL I don’t know if anyone knows that story but my hubs until today.
I’ve been the one to receive all kinds of warnings from well meaning friends on being more careful.
I do believe in being cautious in the dark if it’s not a safe area. On the other hand with good karma I swear I could be in the middle of a bank robbery and walk right out because it wouldn’t effect me.
I think when you vibrate at a high frequency now matter what is going on around us even in a dark area we are safe.
I just discovered that people hike in the dark with lights on hats. I had no idea and can’t wait to try it. I was almost caught in the dark in a hike and everyone was afraid of snakes. Me? I was afraid of getting lost;)
#12 by Evita on May 11, 2010 - 1:39 am
Hi Tess
Ha! I loved all that you shared! I just love the dynamics here so far, of all of you being so open to the dark! That is just incredible to hear!!
I loved your stories. It must be a whole different world growing up and having fun like that. This is actually one of the things that would be great for any kids we may have to experience.
But the best part of your comment was the one about the karma and vibration. I SO agree! Knowing today how we create and attract things into our lives, I look differently upon all things related.
And I think you are so right about all that you said. THANK YOU so much for sharing it – it is a very valuable message for many to read!
#13 by Wilma Ham on May 11, 2010 - 2:55 am
Oh I missed growing up on a farm. I grew up in cities full of light and with teasing older brothers who loved putting me in a cupboard and having me become afraid of darkness.
They succeeded, darkness became one freaking experience for me.
It wasn’t until I started to camp in the wilderness weeks and weeks on end that I realized darkness is NOT darkness how I used to experience it at all. Darkness outside is beautiful and not dark and confining. The stars give of a lot of light, there is peace when all is quiet down, darkness feels like a blanket.
We live remotely as well and people ask if I am afraid to be home alone at night and I am not. As you say, night and day belong to life and both have their charms.
Love Wilma
#14 by Evita on May 11, 2010 - 1:13 pm
Hi Wilma
Me too – thanks for sharing your experience. Mind you I did not have brothers who put me in cupboards, but when I was about 10 or so, I did like scary movies….silly, silly for watching those as they just made my fear of the dark worse. Of course I “grew out” of thinking that a vampire is standing behind my door, but I will not forget the effect those movies had on me.
Just one other reason why I think parents should be so conscious of what their kids watch. We put our 3 year olds in front of almost anything on the TV today, never mind our young teens, but this is not beneficial by far to anyone in the long run…
Thank you for your comment Wilma!
#15 by Tess The Bold Life on May 11, 2010 - 1:28 pm
Hi Evita,
I thought more about the bank example and decided I wouldn’t even be in the bank if it was being robbed. I would be led away from it even if it was in my plan:)
#16 by Appalachian Sea Otter on May 11, 2010 - 10:22 pm
In one sense, we are fire-flies lighting up and illuminating the dark spaces of the universe. If we are not creating by mixing light and dark together, we are exploring the darkness that we have repressed over the eons. The darkness can be invigorating and can be rediscovered even in the light of day. By accepting the forgotten energy left in the shadows, we bring light to those spaces. Some of my most exciting experiences have been walking miles in the darkness with the stars above me to help guide me along my path without the use of a headlamp. The senses come alive and we make love with each and every step of the uneven ground that the template of the earth provides for us. There is truly nothing to fear, and if we do fear, it is an invitation to walk into fear so that we can embrace it and set it free.
#17 by Evita on May 12, 2010 - 3:57 am
Hello Sea Otter
Your words here ring right through the heart and soul, as they always do. Thank you for sharing your experiences and bridging the gap so beautifully between the light and the dark.
Walking into fear is indeed perhaps the best way to walk right through it, and realize it for the illusion that it is.
#18 by suzen on May 12, 2010 - 3:14 am
Hi Evita! Growing up rurally I was used to no street lights etc at night. I was up feeding chickens before the sun was up. Now today, I love being at the lake house because the night is as dark as you wrote about – the stars are amazing! I must admit my imagination and senses go nuts in the dark but I blame Monkey mind and not fear. Lovely post – we need to experience darkness and learn to be comfortable with it.
Hugs
suZen
#19 by Evita on May 12, 2010 - 3:59 am
Hi suZen
Thank you for visiting here and adding in your comment with your experiences.
Yes, the creative mind can indeed play out numerous scenarios… it is amazing what we are capable of. As long as we stay conscious and present though, I believe we can birth beautiful, safe and loving creations only.
#20 by Megan "JoyGirl!" Bord on May 12, 2010 - 1:04 pm
I love the idea of the dark, because in the light, my eyes sometimes get overwhelmed, which overwhelms my mind, and then my spirit. When I close my eyes, though, and allow my heart to guide me through the darkness, there is intense calm, and a deep knowing that all is well.
Like returning to the womb in some regards — darkness embraces us, and invites us to reconnect to ourselves.
This was so lovely to read! Two awesome writers together in one space… Brilliant!
#21 by Evita on May 12, 2010 - 2:06 pm
Hi Megan
Thank you for sharing your experience. That is a really good point about closing the eyes, or having the dark tune out all the sights, just to go in and really feel. I totally understand that feeling. Sometimes during the day, it is good to just be in the middle of somewhere and just close the eyes, and remember who we really are beyond all the sights and sounds.
#22 by Karl Staib - Work Happy Now on May 12, 2010 - 3:23 pm
The dark is a beautiful place. We need it to show us all the sides to life. I recently was very excited about a wonderful business opportunity, but I didn’t want to get too excited. So I visited that dark place where negativity lives. I used this time to ground myself so not to get too carried away.
#23 by Evita on May 12, 2010 - 7:24 pm
Hi Karl
You are right – there is a beautiful potential to show us all sides of life. The light and dark are both aspects of us and this world, and actually neither one needs to be labelled as good or bad – they just “are”.
Than you for your comment!
#24 by Chris Edgar on May 12, 2010 - 3:52 pm
Hi Evita — thanks for this — yes, I’ve also seen a tendency among people “on a spiritual path” to pretend that the darkness, or the shadow, doesn’t exist. The result is what I think Robert Masters (my new favorite therapist and workshop leader!) would call “anemic” spirituality. In my own case, the shadow is aggressive and perhaps even violent, and I explore it in tae kwon do as well as in my meditations. Reconciling with that part is necessary for me to be a man in the world, as scary as it can seem.
#25 by Evita on May 12, 2010 - 7:03 pm
Hi Chris
Thank you for highlighting this and sharing your own personal journey with the dark.
If we want to move, to be truly whole and holistic beings, we need to embrace all aspects of ourselves and the world. To repress one thing over another, actually bathes it in an energy that can cause more harm than good.
So yes, it is good to walk through our fears, and come out on the other side, even more expanded into our full expression as human beings.
#26 by The Exception on May 12, 2010 - 6:30 pm
I grew up in rural mountain America – dark, stars, crickets, quiet with the noises that are only heard in the night.
I spent a summer in Rural, mountain CT where I learned to prefer not to use the flashlight and trust the other senses.
I love the night in the deserts – it is the most amazingly beautiful experience for those who can open their hearts and minds… how easy it is to dream in such a place where the night is pure and lit by the stars.
In the last few months, I have learned that there is a different kind of loving the dark – I hope I can phrase this effectively. When we have our eyes open and the light shines, we see everything as it is – or as it isn’t. Our eyes and minds filter all that the light shines on from time to time… Yet when it is dark – when we close our eyes – we allow our instincts or intuition to kick in – it becomes the light, the voice… It is easier to hear sometimes when it is dark…
I am not sure that reads as I would like it – but the night holds beauty and enrichment – it is a necessary as the light.
Thank you for this Evita!!
#27 by Evita on May 12, 2010 - 7:07 pm
Hi The Exception
I think you phrased beautifully and perfectly the blessings that are for each of us in the “dark”.
In fact, I had a similar train of thought on how to express that there IS light in the dark, but couldn’t find the right way to say it – so thank you, your addition is just so wonderful!
And thank you for sharing your experiences with the dark – there is so much beauty in what each of us has learned, experienced and felt from this tranquil part of life.
May the love and energy we are all putting out here towards the dark, illuminate it as well for many others 🙂
#28 by Barbara Swafford on May 14, 2010 - 6:33 am
Hello Joy and Evita,
I, too, grew up in the country where darkness was the norm. I loved it, and to this day enjoy looking up at the stars and seeing the world through different eyes. There’s something about the darkness that is mystical. On clear nights we feel we can touch the stars, and when it’s totally dark, we’re left to rely on our other senses. It is beautiful, indeed.
P.S. I wish you all the best with your move.
#29 by Evita on May 14, 2010 - 12:49 pm
Hi Barbara
Wow you too! How wonderful that you had a chance to experience nature in all of its light and dark splendour so early and make it part of who you are today.
Thank you for your comment and the wishes – it has been wonderful thus far 🙂
#30 by Hilary on May 14, 2010 - 4:22 pm
Hi Evita .. I grew up in the country, went to school where there was some light, but really til I left home and went to London – then there was no night.
Africa really opened up my eyes to the dark .. the call of the wild, and the starry, starry nights .. though in fact we did camp out at home as kids – that was dark!
Your journey into ‘the sticks’ will be wonderful .. what an amazing way of life you’ll have – so interesting and so educating .. I’m really looking forward to your posts.
Thanks – so good to read – Hilary
#31 by Evita on May 14, 2010 - 6:02 pm
Hi Hilary
Thank you 🙂
Wow Africa must have been quite a journey indeed and a place to really feel the blackness of the night sky.
Thank you for sharing in the journey and coming by here to check out Joy’s site 🙂