Erik Stensland - The Journey Beyond - Learning to Live Beautifully in a Troubled World

Rocky Trail Press

P.O. Box 2843

Estes Park, CO 80517

www.RockyTrailPress.com

Copyright 2021

All rights reserved. No part of this book, either photographs or text, may be reproduced or transmitted in any formexcept for editorial reviewswithout permission in writing from the publisher.

All photos and text by Erik Stensland,
ImagesofRMNP.com & MorningLight.us

Publishers Cataloging-In-PublicationData

(Prepared by The Donohue Group, Inc.)

Names: Stensland, Erik, 1968- author, photographer.

Title: The journey beyond : learning to live beautifully in a troubled world / Erik Stensland.

Description: Estes Park, CO : Rocky Trail Press, [2021] | Series: [Whispers] ; [2]

Identifiers: ISBN 9781970099997

Subjects: LCSH: Spiritual life--Meditations. | Nature--Psychological aspects. | Nature photography--21st century--Pictorial works. | Quality of life--Psychological aspects.

Classification: LCC BL624.2 .S74 2021 TR721 | DDC 204/.4 778.93--dc23

Book design by Jerry Dorris, AuthorSupport.com

Edited by Janna Nysewander

Contributing editor: Joanna Stensland

Special thanks to reviewers: Carl Schmidt, Nancy Conley, & Laura Kratz.

ISBN: 978-1-970099-99-7

Printed in South Korea

Front cover: The last light of day kisses the dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve in southern Colorado.

To those who ignore the crowd
and follow the Whisper within.

The call deep within all of us
is to live a life of beauty.

INTRODUCTION

I f you are anything like me, you have this deep yearning within to live a meaningful life, a life that in some way makes this world a better place. I think we all have that longing, though for some it may be dulled or hidden by years of struggle and pain. I hope I can encourage you to reconnect that quiet voice within that calls us to a life of beauty and meaning.

This book continues the journey that was started in the first book in this series, Whispers in the Wilderness . We still follow the trail toward wholeness, but now it leads us beyond ourselves and out into our troubled world. Here we are challenged to step outside the dominant paradigms that keep our world trapped in unhealthy patterns of self-destruction. Along this path, we encounter deeper ways of seeing and healthier ways of engaging with our society and our planet. As these ways become part of our lives, we not only find freedom for ourselves, we also become agents of healing in the world around us.

This path to wholeness is never easy. It seems to always head into places we would rather not go. In some ways, it reminds me of the path to healing offered by physical therapists. Those areas where we are stiff and sore are always the ones they work on. They dont do it to cause us pain, but to bring strength and health back to those places in our body. I think you will find this trail to be much the same.

This book is in part an attempt to help us take a fresh look at American society and to move beyond the aggressive, polarized culture that keeps us locked in a cycle of hate and division. Our nation is facing deep-rooted challenges that cannot be solved at the level of politics. My hope is that this book will help us to become people who can envision the way to a better future.

Ive chosen to reflect this part of our journey through the photos Ive selected. Ive included photos not only from my beloved Rocky Mountain National Park but also from the harsh Desert Southwest, the sweeping vistas of Scotland, the primeval landscape of Iceland, the lush rain forests of the Pacific Northwest, the rugged coasts of England, the gentle waters of the Adriatic, and the towering peaks of the European Alps. These images reflect the diversity of challenges and beauty we encounter along the way.

Like Whispers in the Wilderness , this is not a simple narrative or how to approach but rather a series of individual reflections designed to help us ponder and listen to that voice within. As you make your way through this book, I encourage you to read only a page or two at a time. I suggest taking time after reading each page to rephrase it in your own words. Then listen in the silence and see if you can hear what that gentle Whisper within is asking of you.

While Whispers in the Wilderness was more of a devotional type of book, this one is a little different in that it has been written to help us think more deeply about how our internal world should relate to the outer world. It will require some additional work on your part to apply it to your situation. I hope you will make that effort and not shrink back. Also, be aware that from time to time I will touch on the same issue over several different pages, but each time from a slightly different perspective. In doing so, I hope to clarify the issue so that we might see it more clearly and engage with it more fully. I find in my own life that it often takes a bit of repetition for some thoughts to sink in and begin to take hold.

While I cannot promise that the journey ahead will always be an easy one, I can promise you its one that you will not regret. The path to wholeness is not only the path to personal transformation but also to the healing of the world itself. I hope you will join me on this journey.

ON THE PATH

S o much of the time life is complicated and confusing. We are pulled and pushed in multiple directions. It often feels like we are Ping -Pong balls bounced back and forth without any choice in the matter. As a result, life often feels ungrounded and without a coherent thread.

When we finally pull ourselves away from the craziness and step into the quiet of the natural world, our pulse drops to a healthier level, our spinning mind finally slows down, and the stillness of the forest begins to work its magic within us. Here in the silent wild we begin to see with growing clarity. All that is trivial in our lives is exposed, and that which actually has meaning becomes obvious.

In the stillness, we can finally hear that gentle voice deep within. It is the solid ground weve been looking for, our guide through the tumult. It calls us to remain connected not only now here in the quiet but also when we leave the forest and return to the busy world. It is in this connection that we rediscover the path toward wholeness.

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