What I will share with you is one of the deepest and most powerful poems ever written. It’s called, The Invitation and it was written by this beautiful woman called Oriah Mountain Dreamer. If you’ve never read it….you’re in for a treat!
The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
“It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for dreams, for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow,
If you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain!
I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own;
if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, remember the limitations of being a human.
It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see beauty even when it’s not pretty every day. And if you can source your life from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon,
‘Yes!’
It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.
It doesn’t interest me who you know, or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside, when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself; and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.”
And this is The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer…
This powerful poem came to be through the generosity and wisdom of my spiritual mentor, teacher and guide, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. And I am now sharing it with you in the hope that will bring you as much joy as it brought me throughout the years.
P.S. feel free to share The Invitation with all those who might benefit from reading it 🙂
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Luminita D. Saviuc
Luminita is the Founder and Editor in Chief of PurposeFairy.com and also the author of 15 Things You Should Give Up to Be Happy: An Inspiring Guide to Discovering Effortless Joy. For more details check out the 15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy Book Page.
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5 Comments
paula
at 6:55 pm
Oriah is the author. Facebook Oriah Mountain Dreamer. There is a book titled The Invitation in which she breaks down the prosebsection by section explaining her meaning. Wonderful prose. Wonderful book.
alan
at 5:56 pm
this is a beautiful beautiful poem, sears straight to my heart…
I will be certain to read, re-appreciate and reflect on it, time and time again in the years to come…
Maria Savva
at 5:55 pm
I love this poem too, it’s the Invitation by oriah mountain dreamer. Thanks for your lovely posts x
Fawzia
at 6:12 pm
Corrine,you are so beautiful and your poem so true,i hope their is some man out their reading this and meets you and you let him in and open that closed door.Big Hug and Godbless!! I know that feeling!!Life is to short!!Live the moments you have!!
Corinne
at 3:12 am
This is such a deep poem. It always make me have the teary eyes but if you know me I’ll hold them back. lol I know I should let them out and have a good cry. My main thing right now is that I have bad dreams. I live alone and I know I jump in my sleep from the dreams and I just try go back to sleep. I sometimes wonder when I will allow a man to be beside me again. I don’t trust them. I don’t know when I ever will again. Yes, my heart is hurt it is mostly from me being alone again as all my children are adults now and I miss them and am lonely. Yes one has given me grandchildren but I barely get to see him too as they do not live close by. Last night I looked at the pillows I use as comfort and wondered if I’d ever let a man be there instead of them. hmmmm. Things to ponder.