Words of Art - Introduction

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the second part of the introduction to Guiding Words: A Mini Playbook to Serenity.

Some of the insights you will come across throughout these lessons may resonate with ideas from well-known schools of thought, philosophies, religions, or spiritual movements. At times, they may also echo your own reflections and conclusions about life.

Does this mean these insights—both yours and mine—are merely copies of the great thinkers who came before us?

Let us hear some Words of Art to answer that question:

“Each of us are giants standing on the shoulders of giants”.

Some of you may remember, as children, being lifted onto an adult’s shoulders. For many, it was exhilarating to see the world from such a height. In that moment, the adult was the giant, and you were the child. Yet, as time passes, you grow and become a giant in your own right, carrying the next generation on your shoulders.

Thus, in the tapestry of history, we are all giants standing on the shoulders of giants, each generation achieving scientific breakthroughs that the previous one could not have even imagined. However, our common humanity binds us; we share the same fundamental challenges, and there are universal truths about human nature that endure across time, space, and technology. Just as 'all roads lead to Rome,' people at similar stages of awareness and facing similar challenges often gravitate toward similar conclusions.

It is best expressed in these Words of Art:

Truth is a vast sea that flows outside the limits of time,
and everyone, from any era, can access it through the rivers of their own experience.
Because we are made the same,
we share the same feelings,
and our souls are drawn to the same answers.

The answer to hate will always be love.
The answer to shame will always be pride.
The answer to fear will always be courage.
And that, in all eras,
for all of humanity,
for all of eternity.

Therefore, Truth patiently waits for each of us to arrive at “It” through the twisted, painful, beautiful paths of our own experiences.
It takes time, but eventually,
all individual rivers find their way to the Sea,
yet the Sea is never full.

That being said, each Word of Art (WoA) is a distilled essence of Serenity. The greater your awareness, the deeper your ability to connect with them beyond the words. However, even if your reason struggles to grasp the essence of some of these words, don’t be discouraged—fortunately, reason is not the only part of you capable of understanding.

Before we continue, let us define the word Serenity.

The Oxford Dictionary defines serenity as: the quality of being calm and peaceful.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, let’s use the image of a hurricane to better illustrate what we mean by Serenity.

In a hurricane, the outer layers are composed of destructive winds, chaos, and devastation. Yet, at its center lies the “eye”—a roughly circular area of calm, where light winds and fair weather prevail. In the eye, there is little to no precipitation, and sometimes, the blue sky and stars are visible. In much the same way,

Our goal is Serenity:
To live in the world
without letting the world live inside us.
For if the world is a hurricane,
we will build our home at the very center of it.

– WoA

This concludes the second part of the introduction to Guiding Words: A Mini Playbook to Serenity. In the next part, before delving into the first lesson, we will define some key terms that will be frequently used in these lessons.

See you in three days, and until then, may Serenity be upon you.

Didi

Question: After reading this lesson, do you feel you have a better understanding of what we mean by Serenity?

Reply with a yes or no, and feel free to expand beyond two or three characters.

P.S.: I am striving to convey my thoughts in a language that is not my own. Please pardon any mistakes and feel free to share suggestions or corrections to make this reading experience more enjoyable.