“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed
by the things that you didn’t do
than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain
Have you ever missed an opportunity and wondered what your life would have been like if…? Or worried that life would be over before you got a chance to really live?
That’s how I used to feel. It was agonizing! But then I realized that’s just how life calls us to something larger than ourselves – to step outside of our shells and be who we are meant to be!
Thank you, Allah (swt), for not giving up on me!
It might sound scary to be more than we are, or to step out of the protective shell, but it is truly freeing.
We’re never being called to be something we are not. We are not called to do anything we are not capable of. We are only called to release the chains that keep us tied down, frustrated and unfulfilled.
Most of us feel a calling, but when we don’t have a solid guarantee of what we are being called to be or how it will turn out if we say yes to that call, it can be daunting.
“What will happen to all the responsibilities, the marriage, the children, the job? What will I have to say no to if I say yes to my heart?”
The answer is simple – everything and nothing.
You will say no to the illusions and yes to all that is real.
Your family, your loved ones, your provision – these are real. Your relationship to these things may change, because most relationships are built on beliefs that contain some level of illusion, such as a fear of abandonment, a fear of being unlovable or unworthy.
These are illusionary beliefs that provide an unstable foundation. When these falsehoods are cleared from your relationships, you are left with a solid foundation of true connection, love and worthiness. Your relationships can grow stronger when rooted into solid ground.
Whether you are clearing falsehoods around relationship to loved ones, money, food or any other matter in your life, the common denominator is you. The relationship that is strengthened is your relationship with yourself – your own heart and your connection to God.
When this relationship is strong, anything can be built upon it. You are free to be YOU in whatever you do!
You have freedom to experience the inner ecstasy contained within the quiet space in your heart – the space that loves peace, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, justice, equality and freedom.
This space inside is constant, no matter what is happening on the outside. The peace and freedom come from within.
Our guide, Shaykh Muhammad al-Jamal, used to speak of inner ecstasy and outer sobriety. The inner is ecstatic and the outer is content.
This is true freedom! It awaits each of us, and, as our guide also said, “It is closer than your own jugular vein.”
Why miss a chance for a life like this when it is so close to you? All you have to do is step out of your own way and step into your own destiny.
Of course, if it were so easy, wouldn’t everyone have done it by now? Yet there is so much pain in the world, it’s obvious most people have not taken the steps to realize inner freedom. It helps to have guidance.
At The University of Sufism, we teach the principles and tools that can get you there, and we also guide you through the experiences that clear your inner blocks and walk you along the path to know the truth inside your deep heart – your connection to yourself and your Oneness with The One God of Love, Peace, Mercy, Justice and Freedom.
We have a Masters of Divinity program beginning October 29th. If this calls to you, you are invited to join us.
Please act now and begin the application process today. Applications are due today, Friday, October 14th, so please contact Maryam as soon as possible at admissions AT sufiuniversity DOT org, or by phone at 707-965-0400, option 701.
May God’s peace and blessings be upon you with every step of your journey!
With love and gratitude,
Mastura Graugnard on behalf of all your friends and family at UOS
