Hi… It is that time of the year. It is Diwali. Time to free ourselves from upsets. Time to reflect on the years gone by and make changes for the way ahead. Time to give ourselves some much deserved love and attention. Time to give and forgive. There is an air of freedom, love, festivity and friendliness. Yes there is, even in these dampened times. So here is the warmest possible Diwali wish from all of us at Team ROADFOLK. Lots of love and hugs, joy and success in the times to come.
Considering the time of the year we decided to explore the idea of FREEDOM, our theme for this month. Freedom in every sense. The freedom and permission to love ourselves. The freedom to give ourselves fully in every endeavour. The freedom to give without expectation. The freedom to be ourselves.
“You have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now, and nothing can stand in your way”.”
― Richard Bach, Jonathan Livingstone Seagull
Jonathan Livingstone Seagull is my all time favourite book. And when talking about freedom it presents itself as the epitome of the idea. So I have taken the liberty of sharing some very appropriate quotes from this most amazing book, that I have read many times from over four decades now.
“He was not bone and feather but a perfect idea of freedom and flight, limited by nothing at all”
― Richard Bach, Jonathan Livingstone Seagull
We are not bone and flesh. We just need to connect to our limitless selves. And explore the world and life around us with a complete sense of awe and amazement. The world itself is an amazing creature and a conundrum that we need not solve. We just need to experience it, freeing ourselves of our egos and all the dogmas that we have been conditioned to believe.
“He spoke of very simple things- that it is right for a gull to fly, that freedom is the very nature of his being, that whatever stands against that freedom must be set aside, be it ritual or superstition or limitation in any form.
“Set aside,” came a voice from the multitude, “even if it be the Law of the Flock?”
“The only true law is that which leads to freedom,” Jonathan said. “There is no other.”
― Richard Bach, Jonathan Livingstone Seagull
At times I wonder what will be achieved with all the material that we publish. What I do know is that, we do this without expectation of accolades and rewards. Without any expectation at all actually. That in itself frees me of any fears that I may have. Fears about what the readers may think of what we put out. Fear of being judged. I just pray and hope that any reader that does come across our material is impacted in some way.
Continuing on, it is that time of the year when we clean out our homes and clean out our hearts. We declutter, not only our physical spaces but our mental spaces too. Allowing us the opportunity for new beginnings, new ideas and new direction. Freeing ourselves of material and emotional tugs. Nothing needs to hold back that true spirit that resides in each of us. Diwali is the time for inner illumination. The true light is the one that shines in our hearts. And when we sit quietly and focus on this light we illuminate our souls. This is a time for us to begin our journey anew to cultivate and enjoy eternal bliss. We don’t really need an annual event to remind us of all this. But the drudgery and challenges of every day life divert us from our true path and this annual event just serves as a reminder for us to correct course and get back on the true path of freedom and bliss.
And it reminds us that freedom and love fuel lasting happiness.
So once again we send out the warmest wishes for Diwali 2021. May each of you find the journey that fuels joy and lasting happiness in your lives.
Much Love.
God Bless!!
Mohit Gupta
5th November 2021
