Full Dark. No Stars.

A fish cannot drown in water.

A bird does not fall in the air.

Each creature God made must live in its own true nature.

-- Mechthild of Magdeburg

In order to 'live' in one's own true nature, it first must be discovered. This is the tricky and often elusive part. For me, I began to discover what authenticity was, when I stopped looking outside myself to define it.

Responsibility. Endurance. Courage. Integrity. All appeared to be requirements of this self-discovery. All the things I didn’t have much follow through previously on my resume of life. And in pursuit of discovery I found I had to face the dark side of myself.

The place where fear reigned.

And as I traveled, I found that circumstances and obstacles in my life were all of my own creation. A place constructed to trap my authenticity inside. And the dark part of who I am sat at the door with the key.

[1] Full Dark. No Stars. Author, Stephen King book title.