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We had twenty cancer survivors and care-givers who had never been to Tibet. For all of us, cancer had left mental and physical scars that we were still searching to understand. How would this journey change us? Would it help us understand our relationship with cancer? The group was filled with expectations, excitement, and anticipation. We were constantly reminded of the importance of staying present in each moment over the next few weeks.

 

 Staying present allows one to be open to new experiences, which we would certainly find along our journey. But further than that, living each day like it is a new beginning allows us to experience every precious moment of life. Each day, regardless if we are hiking in Tibet or working on a random Tuesday, holds incredible moments of joy, laughter, pain, and triumph. 

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"Stay present. Life begins again at this moment. Enjoy the ride."

 

That was our mantra for this journey. For those whose life had been threatened by cancer, that sounded like a pretty sweet deal.

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"In out of the way places of the heart
Where your thoughts never think to wander
This beginning has been quietly forming
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.

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For a long time it has watched your desire
Feeling the emptiness grow inside you
Noticing how you willed yourself on
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

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It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the grey promises that sameness whispered
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent
Wondered would you always live like this.

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Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream
A path of plenitude opening before you.

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Though your destination is not clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is one with your life’s desire.

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Awaken your spirit to adventure
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm
For your soul senses the world that awaits you."

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John O'Donohue, For a New Beginning