The bright sun brings welcome warmth as I walk through the cactus forest of the Rincon Mountain section of the Saguaro National Park just outside of Tucson, Arizona. Standing like tall sentinels overseeing the vastness of the desert, the improbable saguaros point my vision skyward, in some cases up to 175 or even 200 feet. 

My primary aim in staying in Tucson for a few weeks has been to write, take hikes, see friends and savor the warmth. I was not expecting to be captivated by the Sonoran Desert; however, I have been completely humbled by it. With the diversity of the desert’s lifeforms stretching before me across thousands of acres, I sensed into my interior capacity for allowing in this ineffable mystery.  Was I allowing anything to come between this in-the-moment experience and my Being or could I surrender my ordinary self to both the immense beauty and the harshness of this land?   

The Sonoran Desert is the only place on the planet where the saguaro cactus grows naturally.  Standing in miniature before a giant elder, I asked “what am I to learn from you today?”  Paying close attention, its silence invited my inner silence. The dark holes in its trunk provided evidence of its contributions to the greater ecosystem through offering life-affirming food and shelter to other desert creatures. Its very existence is a stunning expression of Nature, and I realized that whatever could get in the way of being fully present to this moment is the same thing that can get in the way of being present to my own mystery with its beauty and its sorrows.

My questions for our collective inquiry are: What does it take for us as human beings to accept our true nature? What obstacles are ready to be released or surrendered? To what degree can we allow ourselves to recognize our own inherent gifts to the systems in which we live?   

This speaks directly to the heart of Deep Living. Thank you for engaging in this ongoing inquiry. I look forward to hearing back from you!

With love and gratitude,

Roxanne

Amazon | Barnes & Noble or your favorite independent bookstore.

Roxannehowemurphy.com | DeepLivingLab.org

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LISTEN NOW:

Roxanne was interviewed about her newest book, Underneath Your Personality: Discover Greater Well-Being Through Deep Living With the Enneagram (UYP) by leadership coach and facilitator Marcia Hyatt for her Best of Ourselves Podcast.  If you missed the first two short interview segments, you can catch them in my previous Blog post:

What Are You Searching For?
A Peak Into Having Real Choices

Keep an eye out for the next interview segments.

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DEEP LIVING LAB OFFERING: Return to Center

The Deep Living Lab supports the integration of Deep Living principles into your daily life. Its next offering starts Feb. 22!  This will be a powerful experience in coming back to yourself! 

Check it out now: deeplivinglab.podia.com/return-to-center

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TUSCON, Arizona in March!

The eagerly awaited Tucson Festival of Books, March 9-10, is one of the largest literary events in the country. Thousands of people attend, along with a multitude of speakers and events.

The five books in the Deep Living Book Collection will be displayed at the NMBA (New Mexico Book Association) Booth 150.  I will be there and if you’re planning to attend, drop me a note so we can say hi.

Some Tucson favs:  If walking and hiking are high on your list, Tucson is home to the fabulous Saguaro National Park and Sabino Canyon in the Coronado National Forest with hundreds of trails, along with desert gardens and museums open to the public. Tucson is one of only two cities in the U.S. designated as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.  Enticed?

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NOW AVAILABLE!

“In this age, where so many of us feel alone and separate, it feels important and comforting to have this kind of guidance for how to have an honest relationship with oneself and others.” – Haskell

Purchase Your Copy Here:  

Amazon | Barnes & Noble or your favorite independent bookstore.