"When will you begin the long journey into yourself?" - Rumi
One of the greatest gifts of being an avatar is the opportunity to really get to know yourself. Our current culture is so focused on outward appearances and the acquisition of "things" that it's rare to be encouraged to look inside - to ask yourself who is at home behind the reflection in the mirror. That's one of the reasons I've loved filling out and tweaking my profile in Second Life. It has allowed me to not only write about topics and people I care about, but to share images, videos, and poems that have touched me and shaped who I am.
Below is my avatar, Jenaia Morane, and her profile. Both she and the profile are always a work in progress, but I can honestly and proudly say that Jenaia and her profile represent the best of me in both worlds. Let me know what you think, and if you are moved to share your own profile, drop me a line (contact info at the bottom of this post).
2ND LIFE PROFILE
"Like water be gentle and strong. Gentle enough enough to follow the natural paths of the earth and strong enough to rise up and reshape the world" - Brenda Peterson
PICKS
#1: A Vision
If You Are Lucky in This Life
A window will appear on a battlefield between two armies.
And when the soldiers look into the window
They don't see their enemies
They see themselves as children.
And they stop fighting
And go home and go to sleep.
When they wake up, the land is well again. - 4th grader Cameron Penny
#2: An Intention
"I want to write with quiet hands. I want to write while crossing the fields that are fresh with daisies and the ordinary grass. I want to make poems while thinking of the bread of heaven and the cup of astonishment....I want to make poems that look into the earth and the heavens and see the unseeable. I want them to honor both the heart of faith, and the light of the world; the gladness that says, without any words, everything." - Mary Oliver
#3: For Gabby
To be with a dying friend is a gift . The veil between realities is very thin, the distinction between energy and form a formality. The closer she moved towards death, the clearer her love became. If you are quiet and persistent enough – if you step even for an instant beyond physical perception – you will see what you have always known. Life is eternal. thank you my sweet girl for being there through it all.
#4: I Want to Know
"It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing. It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive. It doesn't interest me where you live or how much money you have....I want to know what sustains you from the inside, when all else falls away...." - Oriah Mountain Dreamer
#5: Inside Out
Inside looking out
the footsore dancers prance and preen,
pivoting on heels of glass
along lines of lessons
they’ve forgotten they learned
before they chose to dance.
Inside looking out
I watch,
cup my hands
around the steady flame of my existence,
and remember a breath of laughter,
sultry sweet and humming,
behind your words.
Inside looking out,
I touch the tender purple-blue edges
of our collision
and marvel at your devotion
to the intricate steps
seducing you from the stillpoint
of your own soft-spoken truth.
- (c) 2010 Jena Ball
#6: How to Be Jenaia
Reach out to people in need of an encouraging word.
Take on way too many projects for one mortal to accomplish.
Laugh out loud at the silliest things.
Snarl out loud at the world's stupidity.
Fight the world's stupidity with every idea in your head.
Love fiercely if not always wisely.
Stay up way too late.
Create, create, create.
Teach others tirelessly.
Watch the world unblinkingly, unflinchingly, for any sign of hope.
Hold every sign up like a beacon for all to see. - Raevn
#7: The Avatar in Us All
A presentation on the power and potential of being an avatar in virutal space presented at the International Association of Blended Learning's conference in April, 2020. Learn about the origins of the word avatar, how neuroscience is showing that our brains respond directly to our virtual experiences, and how the stories we live and tell as avatars can impact and even change how we live our lives in physical reality. Watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/manage/414552977/general#
#8: Thoughts
"Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion!" - Rumi
“You either walk inside your story and own it or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.” - Brene Brown
"Words are sacred. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little." - T. Stoppar
"To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved." - G. MacDonald
"Forgiveness involves faith in a love that's greater than hatred, and a willingness to see the light in someone's soul even when their personality has harbored darkness." -M. Williamson
"You cannot BE, that which you do not know yourself to be...that is why you've been given this life...to discover who you truly are..." - E. Tolle
"Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Ghandi
If you'd like to share your profile with me, please send an email at:Jenaia.Morane@gmail.com. If you'd like to have your profile featured on this blog, please state that in your email and include any images.
P.S. Sign up to stay in touch here: http://bit.ly/3pEuUyn
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