"Problems exist only in the sleeping human mind," writes Anthony DeMello in his brilliant little book Awareness. And here is Hafiz: "Indeed, a lover's pain is this sleeping, this sleeping, when God just rolled over and gave you such a big good-morning kiss!"

Okay. Let's suppose the neighbor's music is blaring. The internet is down. A partner keeps on talking when we want quiet. Annoying. Frustrating. Or?

Neighbor, internet, partner are all right. Reality is all right. It's me adding a layer to reality that turns things into problems. The feelings of annoyance and frustration arise in me.

Thing is, we identify with feelings. We live the feelings of our thoughts in the moment. We do not really touch reality as is, blind to its miraculousness, to its rising and passing.

Instead, we add our self importance. As if life should be a certain way. In contrast, life owes us nothing.

"...would that we could wake up to what we were— when we were ocean and before that," writes Marie Howe in her poem Singularity. "...before we came to believe humans were so important."

When we were ocean and before that: It is still who we are today. This spacious peace, our capacity to bear witness, ocean to waves.

Shall we wake up? Shall we see reality nakedly, without drama? We long to be awake, right? Why then are we so scared?

Because awakening is freedom. It's love. But oh, the vastness of this freedom, such love. Too vast. Safer to hold back. Because if I surrender, everything I held as true will crumble. Real aliveness feels too big. You melt in such love.

Marie Howe again: "....only able to endure it by being no one and so specifically myself I thought I’d die from being loved like that."

Thank you as always for reading! Yet it's time to take a break for the summer. This is the last newsletter to find your inbox for a few weeks. Instead, spaces to fall in love all over again with evening summer light, to wake up to what wants to open in it. Wishing you a beautiful and deeply fulfilling summer into autumn. You are awesome. We are all awesome. With so much love, Sophia

Not yet part of our community of rebels? Join us today. The scribbles you’ll receive (after the summer) will be short, include more resources (with occasional wild-hearted announcements) and appear only weekly at the very most. Click here. With gratitude, Sophia.

I wake to sleep. A love to die for