Personal Development
Cry Out In Your Weakness
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When I first began studying healing and spiritual development, I was not the emotionally literate version of me you see before you today (hey you, snickering in the back— I saw that!). I was an all-too-common example of someone who had a really hard time showing his true colors, for fear of rejection and all. The trick is, when you don’t open up to others because you’re afraid of not being loved, you end up not being loved nearly as much as you could, because you’re practically invisible.
One of my teachers, who was an avid Rumi fan, shared a poem with me one day called “Cry Out In Your Weakness.” It tore at my heart, rending apart the fears and hesitations that kept me from putting myself out to others, and helped remind me that as much as my pain felt normal to me, it wasn’t in my best interests to keep steeping in it.
Here you go:
A dragon was pulling a bear into its terrible mouth
A courageous man went and rescued the bear.There are such helpers in the world, who rush to save anyone who cries out.
Like mercy itself, they run toward the screaming. And they can’t be bought off.If you were to ask one of those, “Why did you come so quickly?” he or she would say, “Because I heard your helplessness.”
Where lowland is, that’s where water goes. All medicine wants is pain to cure.
And don’t just ask for one mercy. Let them flood in. Let the sky open under your feet.
Take the cotton out of your ears, the cotton of consolations, so you can hear the sphere-music. Push the hair out of your eyes. Blow the phlegm from your nose, and from your brain.
Let the wind breeze through. Leave no residue in yourself from that bilious fever.
Take the cure for impotence, that your manhood may shoot forth, and a hundred new beings come of your coming.Tear the binding from around the foot of your soul, and let it race around the track in front of the crowd. Loosen the knot of greed so tight on your neck. Accept your new good luck.
Give your weakness to one who helps. Crying out loud and weeping are great resources.
A nursing mother, all she does is wait to hear her child. Just a little beginning-whimper, and she’s there. God created the child, that is, your wanting, so that it might cry out, so that milk might come.
Cry out! Don’t be stolid and silent with your pain. Lament! And let the milk of loving flow into you.
The hard rain and wind are ways the cloud has to take care of us.
Be patient. Respond to every call that excites your spirit. Ignore those that make you fearful and sad, that degrade you back toward disease and death.
This poem, especially the last four lines, have always strengthened my resolve to live fully, no matter how scary it might seem, or how much it might feel overwhelming to stare down the ugly beast of social normalcy and say, “You there, the sad creature with the ‘Preserve The Status Quo’ t-shirt on— it’s time for you to shut up.”
Because heaven knows there are forces, both within you and mirrored around you, that would love for you to slink back into the shadows, and settle for less. I say, it’s time to kick those freeloaders out. Time for you to embrace your passion (as overworked as that phrase can feel, it’s got kernels of genius in it). Time to stand up and be counted.
It’s Funny How Things Get Started
Take for an example, this post. What I meant to write about was the no-man-is-an-island need for us to embrace feedback in our lives. And, even when it feels like too much vulnerability to ask, to ask anyway. Because, as Rumi so eloquently penned, “Take the cotton out of your ears”… and, “Cry out! Don’t be stolid and silent with your pain. Lament! And let the milk of loving flow into you.”
Instead, it turned into a siren-call for living life on your own terms. Or, at least, it did to me.
And, I’d still love to get around to that whole “feedback” thing…
I Need Your Input
I’m craving it, actually. It’s the fuel that keeps me writing, and I’m realizing how much I’ve been running on empty. Be clear: I’m not blaming you— heavens no. How can you fault the man for not rescuing the bear from the jaws of the dragon, if the bear never cries out for help? So, this is me, crying out in my weakness, asking for your input on this site.
Answering the call is as easy as leaving a comment below. Here are my questions:
- What do you think of this site? Design-wise, content-wise, etc. Easy/Hard to navigate? Like/Hate the new layout?
- What do you think of this new direction in my writing? Miss the Monk? I’d really like to know…
- What do you want from me? How have I helped you or inspired you before?
I’ve got other questions, too, but these are the important ones. The ones clawing at my soul. The ones that need relief from the “bilious fever” of isolation.
And thank you.
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14 comments for “Cry Out In Your Weakness”
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2008 Viverati. 
It is hard for me to write this comment. Hard to put my finger on it.
I like some of Viverati. The site is very nice, the logo beautiful, however I get your messages via feed, so I only visit the actual site to leave comments.
I think what I am missing, is that special Monk voice. It, and the messages it spoke, were special. Different. Things I didn’t find in the blogosphere anywhere else. Viverati’s voice is different from Monk’s.
I have other feeds that give me productivity tips, organization tips, financial tips. Monk gave something else. The posts themselves were often healing, if that is possible. I often saved them.
I said in comments awhile back that I’ll miss the little cartoon monk. And I do… both as a design professional - because anyone can use Flickr, it’s great to see original art - and because that little robed guy represented the voice. I’ll admit to my Attachment.
Well, I don’t know how my 2 cents will help you, I’m having a hard time being specific. Keep writing, mind like water, see where it all goes. Don’t crave the feedback - let go of Outcome. You know. Follow your heart and don’t worry about what others think, the energy you put forth will come back and you’ll see your Path.
I like your new gig, but I must admit I do miss the Monk.
But as I always advise, we must allow people to change. Sigh. I hate change.
Thank you.
Adam, I’m quite new to your writing and Viverati itself, and I just wanted to say that I’m really enjoying the authenticity with which you express yourself.
The Rumi poem was beautiful, thank you.
HI Adam,
I’m liking the site. Overall it is a great design and I feel you are very courageous to make a big change to an already successful site, (the monk) but hey, isn’t that what life is all about? Stepping out, taking risks, following your heart?
2 things confuse me a bit.
1. The // that is telling me where I am. I know that it is supposed to be a map of exactly where I am in the site, but hey, I just find it confusing. oh well.
2. Exceptional Life Literacy…? Still not exactly sure what it is..
Even so, I must say Adam I’ve got full vote of confidence in you and know that as you continue on this blog site you’ll gain more clarity and continue to give stellar posts. I’ll continue reading and look forward to more Life Literacy.
Sat Nam
Hi Adam,
I’m also fairly new to finding you-I’ve know you as the Monk for only a little bit and then you made the change so it’s hard for me to compare. Overall, I have the feeling of you being a good soul and having a good heart whether you are the Monk or Viverati. The space of what you are is not as important to me as what comes through that space- your inspiration and wisdom. So I say follow that heart of yours and see where it leads.
I’ve been enjoying your writings and I like the look of your new site too.
Gina
Gayle, thank you, thank you - that is most helpful. I hear what you’re saying about the voice being different, and it’s something I wrestle with all the time… trying to be authentically me, and not ‘put on’ a persona.
For many years, I was a teacher with a school of healing and spirituality, and I fell into a certain way of doing things that wasn’t necessarily in line with what I’d call my authentic voice (stepping out of sync with the ‘party line’ was often met with criticism and even personal attacks, so I have a lot of feelings around all this…). So, when I share my inner thoughts, I sometimes feel like I have two streams flowing simultaneously; the ‘teacher’ and the ‘individual’, and rectifying the two is a process.
I hear what you’re saying on the “don’t crave feedback” piece, too, and
a big reasonthe biggest reason for my blogging at all is the conversation, and a way to connect with people. I’m not one of those people who can just churn out content with no comments; I thrive on the interaction. So, as much as I want to stand on my own, I’m also in it for the community.And, to you and Marti, re: the cartoon monk - I know… I miss him, too. I’m thinking of turning Monk at Work into something else (details soon), so, the Monk may live again…
Tammy, and Mags, thanks, and, you’re welcome. That has always been one of my favorite of Rumi’s.
Michelle, thanks for the feedback. Re: the “//” - that’s a part of the theme I’m using, and I don’t think I’ve quite found the way to use it to its best capacity. I’ll revisit it, though…
UPDATE: I looked through all the pages, and realized that even though those tags looked helpful, they weren’t really page-specific. So, I removed them, and replaced them with rotating header images. Hope they’re fun for you, too!
And re: “exceptional life literacy” - if the explanation on the About page doesn’t do the trick, let me know… and, thanks for the vote of confidence!
Gina, thanks, I appreciate it. I’m looking forward to seeing where this all goes, too…
Adam, I used to read the monk. It was hard work. It was kind of good but it was stilted. I don’t believe there is any place for toeing the line in authenticity - which is what spirituality should be about. I’m loving Viverati. It’s my favourite reading at the moment. Well done.
Adam,
I admire your courage in crying out for help… you’ve inspired a blog post that I’ll be sharing later today on my own blog
I agree with some others who are saying that they miss the Monk. I don’t know… there is definitely a different voice here at Viverati.
I can still feel you coming through, but it’s different somehow…
The Monk felt very authentic to me, very loving, very caring, very healing, peaceful.
Viverati feels a little more like Internet Glossy-ness - if that makes any sense.
Now - don’t get me wrong - I don’t mean that I don’t like it. I do. The site is beautiful. I still enjoy reading the posts.
There is an energy to Viverati that is vivacious, energizing, and solid.
I’m looking forward to sticking with you on the journey and see where the path leads!
i miss monk at work. . . . a lot. i can’t seem to figure out what viverati is about - it doesn’t speak to me like the monk did.
i always enjoy your writing though, adam, and whatever form it takes - i’m a raving fan. i learn so much from you and appreciate your huge contribution to my life and the world.
thanks for asking for what you’re craving - a good lesson for me as well.
Adam,
I love the look and feel of Viverati - clean, open and spacious, and that bit differenti!
I’m still hazy about its purpose though, feels rather ephemeral..,
Learning from your teleclass how to ’sense’ has turned out to be a priceless treasure for me, I use it everyday in all aspects of my life.
I learn most from hearing you speak, so would like to see more teleclasses, particularly on aspects of healing, though I appreciate you may have moved on from there.
Philip, thanks - there definitely was something about forcing myself into a certain mold — not that I was being forced by anyone but myself, of course — but it did create an expectation in my own mind, and that thwarted my voice. I think, at least.
Jenn, thanks… writing here is definitely something I need to settle into more, and that happens only with time. I’m quite busy with webdesign clients at the moment (knock on wood!), which is limiting my writing time, but there’s more to come in the near future.
And yes, the ‘internet glossy-ness’ comment does make sense, not that it’s something I want to stick with. It can be a trick, sometimes, to shut out the “outside voices” and find your own inner message. Again, it’s a process, and I need to be patient… thanks for sticking with me!
Char, it’s nice to hear you liked what was at Monk at Work. My hope is to continue sharing spiritual insights (as long as I keep having them!), and at the same time, be free to explore other topics and ideas that stem far from the monk’s domain. And, I appreciate the raves! I’ll do my best to continue serving… and if you get any more insights, don’t hesitate to let me know.
May, I’m glad you like the design here. It’s not one of mine, but I do like it, too. Re: teleclasses… we’ll have to see. It’s always a balance for me between time and other obligations, and now that workshops aren’t my primary business (having moved into webdesign full-time), teleclasses aren’t as large of a priority.
And, as you well know, I do love to talk! So, expect more “Eggs Over Easy” talks, random podcasts, and who knows what else… (in my mind, I’ve moved on from ‘working as a healer’, and yet ‘healing’ still, and most likely always will be, something I’m involved in, as a key element in my personal development…).
Thanks, everyone, for your feedback. It’s tremendously helpful as I sort through all of my thoughts. I do hear the trend that a) the Monk held something special for you, and b) that we don’t yet have our hands around what Viverati is all about. I see what I can do to clarify that, moving forward.
Adam,
I am very new here. In fact this is my first time on your site. I found your site because I am a friend of Jenn Givler’s and she did a post on this post…so here I am.
I will say that what strikes me about you right away is your authenticity and I love it! It is very encouraging and uplifting to read what you are writing and feel the truthfulness of who you are.
And I read your post about Viverati means and what it is all about and I say THAT IS SO true.
Living live to the highest denominator …I like that. And now I am going to subscribe to your feed because I like what you have to say and look forward to being a part of this blog more in the future.
Your true self really shines through and I like that.
Sincerely,
Teresa Morrow