I feel like I’ve known Oriah’s The Invitation my whole adult life, but I know that she actually wrote it in 1994. I try to think back to what my life was like then–it feels like I was so young but really, I was in my early 40s. That’s young, right? Too young to understand what it means to live fully.
I remember how that piece exploded my heart with its honesty. How I pored over it time and time again, trying to glean every bit of meaning out of it as it related to my life.
I’d been divorced twice.
I was with a man I adored but for whom I had no romantic feelings.
I was working in Silicon Valley.
What exactly are we promised?
I was midway through my life and still seeking the passion I’d thought was promised. That was the longing that Oriah’s The Invitation spoke to.
I still love it. It still inspires.The book sits on a nearby shelf and I re-read it periodically because no matter where I am in my life, no matter what is going on, its wisdom resonates. That’s the beauty of true inspirational writing.
What The Invitation boils down to is simply this, in Oriah’s own explanation:
“…. life is full of beauty and pain; that the world will break your heart and heal it, over and over, if you let it, and that letting it do both is the only way to live fully; that we are not alone but deeply connected to that which creates, and sustains all life….”
Life is about coexistence.
So many times we/I rail against this idea of “letting it do both”– letting the difficult and the easy coexist, the pain and the joy, the spiritual and the profane–appreciating the gifts or messages of both the ying and the yang.
I mean, who wants the bad stuff in life?
And yet, as we go through life it’ll break our hearts and heal them many times over. And that is what a full life is all about. We aren’t promised a pain-free ride.
Is it possible to sit with the pain and the beauty at the same time? That’s the challenge. Sometimes it seems impossible, when our hearts are full of fear and dread or when we’re overcome with pain and suffering. Sometimes it’s hard to access the beautiful stuff because we let the bad stuff carry so much weight.
And yet. It IS possible. Getting at the beauty, not letting the bad stuff overpower it? Being grateful for what’s good? That’s how we evolve. It’s something I have to make a conscious effort to do.
Ain’t easy, sometimes. It’s work.
But it is so worth it.
To see more of Oriah’s books, visit here website. Or her blog.
Every day tends to have a bump or two in the road. These are some great tips for how to live your life the best you can with those happening along the way.
I love books that boast on positivitity. Sometimes its ease to stray off that path…
She sounds like an amazing author and there are times wherein I would have needed a book like. It would be nice to have it around, a reminder of how it is to live like fully.
Great words for staying positive and on track. There are so many things that can derail our positivity.
Your posts always inspires me. It makes me pause and think. Being grateful even for simple and little things can bring so much joy and contentment.
Life is definitely full of ups and downs. We’d all like to be at the top of the hill always, but would we appreciate it without the dips?
I just love all of your inspirational posts. I’ve always try to live in the moment, and be positive and always focus on the good!
So glad you enjoy these!
These days as life gets shorter and harder, I appreciate the value of time and try not to caught up with busy life. We should all learn to focus on the positive side and be grateful no matter.
This is great advise. reading it sounds a lot easier than it is for me.
Age teaches us many things. This morning for example, I pulled up to the office parking lot, my phone rings. it was my kid with “Mom, I left my backpack in your car.” There was a time when having to return home, drop my kid off, and being late for work would’ve ruined my entire day. Life is too good to fret over the small things. So no worries over here. Life is good.
I have not lived my life fully, however we all have our good days and bad days. I always focus on my Heavenly Father for my daily direction.
I haven’t read the Invitation but now I feel I must read it. Yes the bad and good stuff do coexist but it is up to us to make good of the bad stuff because life has to be balanced like that.
It is definitely a good thing to try and focus on the good things in life. If we focus on the bad too much we can definitely get dragged down.
I don’t feel like I’ve lived my life fully and need to change that now while I can. I spent too many years letting my failed back surgery keep me from doing the things I wanted to do.
I love this post. Life can only be truly lived with courage, but it can be hard to muster, especially in today’s world.
I haven’t heard of this book or the author so will have to check it out and see what has been written. Everyone wants a great life.
Yes, seeing the good that came out of the bad experiences will make us into more grateful people. We go through certain things for a reason and there is always a lesson learned to make us better and stronger.
Oriah’s The Invitation sounds absolutely inspiring and definitely a book I’d like to check out. I think things in life happen for a reason and that we should strive to live every day to the fullest!
I feel like when I focus on the bad, everything gets sucked into that vortex and it’s tough to snap out of. Definitely need to think more positive.
For me, everything that happens in our lives has a lesson to teach us and everything happens for a reason. We just need to be positive and look at it as a challenge too. I will check her website and looking for more inspirational words.
Yes, I agree! We need to be more grateful for everything is good in our life! It is the right way to fell better!
The things that are happening in our life is the consequence of our action but we don’t want negative to happen. We need to be positive amidst the problems
I think as I get older, I understand that focusing on the little things and the good things are so important. I need to look into The Invitation. i’ve never heard of that.
We all need to be courageous in most outfits. This post just emphasizes that!
I feel like I have lived a lot only 35 years on this planet. There are still a lot of things I have left that I want to do and will hopefully accomplish most of them!
I try to live life to the fullest. Sometimes we all get caught up in the everyday routine but it’s important to always step back and see the big picture.
I am early 40’s, forever the optimist. I’ve lived a few life’s in this life and try making everyday count. There’s no time for lemons, just time for lemonade!
Sometimes it’s so hard to see the good in what’s going on around you, and it’s so easy to get caught up in “woe is me.” I’ve done that more times than I can count. I’m working very hard to make sure I try my best to seek out the good. Especially in people.
Going to Amazon as soon as I finish here. This sounds like a book I need in my life!
Thank you, Carol!
I’ve always believed that both the ups and downs are a life lived. No one can escape the bad, it happens, but is how you respond to it.
I love The Invitation and the messages behind it. It resonates on so many levels and speaks to people in so many ways. It’s a powerful piece of writing.
Life is a series of choices, consequences, and reactions to the consequences of our choices…and then there’s chaos. All part of the journey and all provide opportunities for love, change, and growth.
Cheers,
Madge
I really enjoyed reading this post. I always try to focus on what’s going good. It’s a great way to be thankful for what you do have.
There is always going to be bumps in the road. You’ll be knocked down. But it is how you get get back up afterwards that really counts.
I’ve never heard of the invitation, so I’m gonna have to look into it. It sounds like a great piece to read.
Yup, I do always try to focus on the good in my life. If I focused on the bad, it would be pretty miserable. I know some people who are so negative, that it must be draining for them.
When hard times hit I focus on Christ and how He can help me push forward – Glad things are looking up for you
Looking back I have lived a very full life. Now retirement is coming and there is so much to do. Looking forward to the second half.
I don’t think anyone truly wants bad things happening in their life but unfortunately no road is without a few bumps. Life is work, as is everything that’s worth anything.