A kindred Warrior

Latacunga, Cotopaxi, Ecuador.

I just come back from climbing the volcano in the pic. Well.. climbing the volcano.. it was more from the parking place to the first stop and getting exhausted from that little distance. But I was at 4800 meters which is quite high. Now I am back at the hostel and open up my laptop to find out that I just received a donation from ‘a kindred warrior’. Just like that. Somebody who I didn’t even knew he existed reached out to me and gave me his support. It is hard to find words to express what it means to me.

But I will give it a shot.

It gives me hope. And it gives me strength. It gives me the feeling that everything is worth it. I can literally feel the strength flowing through my spine. I physically feel supported. But what is supported is not me, the ordinary Dutch guy with flaws, beliefs and judgments, but our True Nature. For me it is a physical experience of being connected with somebody I have never met before. Our connection is based on a recognition that we are all One and that we can express that oneness by supporting each other.

I have noticed many times the power of listening. Of course, it is what I do: listen to people, listen to my heart and theirs. It never stops to amaze me. I rarely write about others in a non-anonymous way. When I do I ask for permission to publish before I post. I might have chosen the path of opening up unconditionally and I hope to inspire others to do the same, I don’t want to out people without their permission. But sometimes I feel touched by a story or observation and I share because it is alive in me. So I have to write it. I am always a bit nervous when I ask for permission though.

The response that I always heard was: “wow.. you really listened. And you have understood”. And I have always gotten the permission. It feels good to be seen and understood and the more we know and see of ourselves the more we can see, acknowledge and forgive in others.

As much as I like to listen to others, I also like to be understood myself. I can go into my fear of being misunderstood and living a life of always feeling misunderstood but that is not my intention right now. Being understood confirms and transcends my existence. I say ‘transcends’ because being understood implies that our perceived lack of inner clarity did not contaminate the way the message was received by the other. I feel heard and I feel more than heard. It makes me feel alive and confirmed by life.

Thank you, kindred Warrior. I am happy you came into my life this way.