Saying Yes To Our Lives
All my life, I have been enamored of the God-intoxicated ones. Those rarified souls who slip into ecstatic states and spontaneously utter poetry. The ones who exude deep stillness, embody equanimity, listen more than they speak. The initiated and the ordained, the monastics….
I wanted to be one of them. Until I didn't.
I want you not to want that as well…. I want you to want to be exactly who you are: a true human person doing their best to show up for this fleeting life with a measure of grace, with kindness and a sense of humor, with curiosity and a willingness to not have all the answers, with reverence for life.
You do not need to chant all night in a temple in the Himalayas. You don't have to be the newest incarnation of Mary Magdalene. It is not necessary to read or write spiritual books. You are not required to know the difference between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism or memorize the Beatitudes. All you have to do to walk the path of the ordinary mystic is to cultivate a gaze of wonder and step onto the road. Keep walking. Rest up, and walk again. Fall down, get up, walk on. Pay attention to the landscape. To the ways it changes and the ways it stays the same. Be alert to surprises and turn with the turning of the seasons. Honor your body, train your mind, and keep your heart open against all odds. Say yes to what is, even when it is uncomfortable or embarrassing or heartbreaking. Hurl your handful of yes into the treetops and then lift your face as the rain of yes drops its grace all over you, all around you, and settles deep inside you.
Mirabai Starr is a contemporary translator of sacred literature, speaker, and teacher of contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialog.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: What do you make of the notion that being a "true human person" involves showing up for life with grace, kindness, a sense of humor, curiosity and a willingness to not have all the answers, with reverence for life? Can you share a personal story that reflects a moment in your life when you showed up in this way? What helps you cultivate a gaze of wonder and keep your heart open, even in the face of discomfort or heartbreak?
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16 Past Reflections
On Feb 6, 2026 Rohit Gohil wrote :
Wow! What a concise and clear explanation of acceptance of life "as it is", without the habitual conditioning of what "could be" or "should be" or "would be". Such acceptance allows one to live more in the present moment, without being influenced by memories and regrets about the past and anxieties and expectations about the future. That, then enables one "to show up for life with grace, kindness, a sense of humour, curiosity and a willingness to not have all the answers, with reverence for life", and with faith that "what is" and "what will be" is going to be for the greater good of all.
A personal story where I showed up in this way for a consistent period was during my mother's last year of life after she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Having taken a break from work I spent time focusing on her needs, hospital trips, learning from other cancer patients, taking her to Germany for alternative treatment as she was too weak to receive chemotherapy, etc. It was a trying time and ac... [View Full Comment]
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On Feb 3, 2026 Trudy Ranfft wrote :
Responding ----All my life I was deeply aware that there most be more,-- more,-- to just -- Being here-- and this more became my search to explore the rich variety of spiritual traditions, we are so lucky now to have access too. It enriched my appreciation of life and it is in this spirit, I can echo T.S. Elliott's poetry,-- we shall not cease from Exploration and at the end of all our exploring we shall arrive where we started and see the place for the first time, with new Seeing and Hearing and gratitude. Trudy R.
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On Feb 3, 2026 Kathaleen wrote :
Time
Everyone tells me I'll be just fine.
It's going to take a little bit of time.
To heal from a loss that is felt so deep.
A loved one I wanted to hold and Keep.
I tried my hardest to heal her wounds.
But my heart saw her leaving soon.
As much as I wanted to deny life's way.
I saw the truth each passing day.
Strength of her love was revealed.
As she struggled against God's heavenly reel.
Giving us time to say good bye.
This gift she offered before she died.
Precious moments, treasured times.
Forever etched in my heart and mind.
How will I cope with this loss of mine?
Again I hear with a little bit of time.
Her voice I miss hearing on the phone.
When she called me when I got home.
Her loving way in saying hi.
Sharing her day asking about mine.
The missing is hard and painful for me.
My heart cries in a never ending plea.
To touch her hand and feel her kiss.
To hear I Love You from her lips.
I sense her hand upon me now.
Reciting a loving verse and vow.
My ... [View Full Comment]
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On Feb 3, 2026 Nicoleta wrote :
I have decided these days to concentrate on myself. Be mindful of everything thay happens around me and focus on little things that bring me joy. Do exercise, go into nature, walk my dog and eat healthy
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On Feb 3, 2026 Anil Pandit wrote :
Simply by doing all activities to derive happiness for self and others is becoming "Sat-Chit-Anand" ourself.
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On Feb 3, 2026 Toni Sims wrote :
Sometimes, we receive messages that resonate just at the right moment of our lives. Such is the case with this one. Sometimes, the winter doldrums get the best of us but then, words such as these: "Keep walking. Rest up, and walk again. Fall down, get up, walk on. Pay attention to the landscape. To the ways it changes and the ways it stays the same. Be alert to surprises and turn with the turning of the seasons. " remind me of The Way. "If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?"! Thank you for sending this just at the right time!
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On Feb 3, 2026 Stream wrote :
Wow!!!! I love this piece. I will respond with a couple of my poems-
Foolishness is my superpower!
I no longer condone boundaries walling off love, joy, or grief.
Hiding for life times was no fun.
The call to Dance was a line thrown to this drowning man.
I was not careful at all piecing together my crazy quilt cap
that I am proud to display along with the emperor’s new threads.
Any street corner you can glimpse me waltzing or doing the tango.
And I need no concert hall or even a barbershop to croon my healing heartsong.
Wandering griot on hieronymous honey moon,
no shame riding into the village sitting backwards on a donkey spouting love songs to the mother of us all.
Sure, I sat on that hill perfectly still
foolishly praying
That if we can learn to live together as fools
we might not perish as brothers and sisters.
-----
YAWNING SAINT
I once had a following.
I was known as
the yawning saint.
once seen, I inspired
crowds to relax
and... [View Full Comment]
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On Feb 3, 2026 Lew Kaye-Skinner wrote :
One thing for me that has helped to open up my sense of wonder and of limitation is writing long form fiction, novels. With every character I create, I have to generate a whole new sense of wonder ernd norwich Karma both of which are limited and beyond what I know and wonder about. It's an amazing experience. When I sit down to write, I almost always wonder what in the dickens will happen next.
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On Feb 3, 2026 Donald wrote :
Wow!!
What a fantastic story - I can walk the path each day as an "ordinary mystic"
I would remove the word "ordinary"
As we are all unique in our own ways and we are all mystics
We were just waiting for someone to remind us.
We have told for far too long, that we are all just "ordinary"
And to be a mystic you have to be like Rumi or Jesus or someone uniquely special in their own way
Forgetting our own unique speciality of simply being and seeing from the heart.
To be heart centred in all we think, say and do.
You have no idea how this short article has changed my thinking and my life.
Thank you
What a fantastic story - I can walk the path each day as an "ordinary mystic"
I would remove the word "ordinary"
As we are all unique in our own ways and we are all mystics
We were just waiting for someone to remind us.
We have told for far too long, that we are all just "ordinary"
And to be a mystic you have to be like Rumi or Jesus or someone uniquely special in their own way
Forgetting our own unique speciality of simply being and seeing from the heart.
To be heart centred in all we think, say and do.
You have no idea how this short article has changed my thinking and my life.
Thank you
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On Feb 3, 2026 Marleen Dejonckheere wrote :
Februari has started ... yet I was still thinking of a 'new-years wish.... Along came this wondrfull reflection. Thank you for sharing... It is the best possible wish for a year that started in confusion and pain for many around the globe. and so... these words and the wisch inside them is so powerfull: All you have to do to walk the path of the ordinary mystic is to cultivate a gaze of wonder and step onto the road. Keep walking. Rest up, and walk again. Fall down, get up, walk on. Pay attention to the landscape. To the ways it changes and the ways it stays the same. Be alert to surprises and turn with the turning of the seasons. Honor your body, train your mind, and keep your heart open against all odds. Say yes to what is, even when it is uncomfortable or embarrassing or heartbreaking....
Thank you for sharing !!!!
Thank you for sharing !!!!
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On Feb 2, 2026 Erika wrote :
Yes!!! I could not agree more. IMO, suffering lives in the delta between what is and what we want it to be. If we show up for what is and say yes, where's the suffering?
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On Jan 30, 2026 David Doane wrote :
I agree with Mirabai Starr's wanting us to be who we are doing our best to show up for life with a measure of grace, with kindness and a sense of humor, with curiosity and a willingness to not have all the answers, and with reverence for life. Those are wonderful qualities. I put the emphasis on sincerely doing our best to show up with those qualities and sincerely continuing to develop those qualities. There are interactions and times when I have showed up in this way, but I usually fall short in living some of those qualities and even in doing my best to live them. What helps me is my naturally having wonder and wanting to learn. What also helps me is knowing that a gaze of wonder and keeping my heart open is the way for me to do the most good and is what is most satisfying for me which makes it for me its own reward.
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On Jan 30, 2026 Fiona wrote :
I’ve been focused on noticing awe of late. It seems to be a practice that this passage refers to. From the impossibly beautiful vista to the moment when death sweeps a loved one from their body, from deeply moving music or being absorbed in ecstatic dance we are really living the human experience with reverence and awe. The more I look for the magic in things the more I realize that even a kind act from one to another can bring me to tears of wonder. This is my practice and it doesn’t make me Mother Theresa. It just ensures that I’m living life to my best ability and showing up for others in that space.
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On Jan 29, 2026 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
While reading this reflective and contemplative article by Mirabai Starr many VOWS passed through my mind and heart. Life is full of wonderment. Keeping my mind open, curious and nonjudgemental I see the inner world and the outer world naturally changing full of surprises and wonderment.
Reading, hearing and reflecting on what I see, I experience wonderment of the phenomenal world. It is a changing world in shape, form, size and colors. There is something unchanging. What is that unchanging?
Is there something unchanging? If so, what is that? I get a glimpse of light. There is something which is unchanging. What is that? Truth, love, kindness, empathy and compassion. It is Divinity. Divinity is our True Self. The body takes birth. It is born, it is sustained and when time comes it passes away. That is the REAL. That is the TRUTH. My father often used to tell us in Sanskrit: Satyam vada. Dhrmam chara. Satyan na pramaditavyam. Kushalan na pramaditavyam. Follow the TRUTH. Walk on t... [View Full Comment]