Heart Pocket Word for the Day is Hungry!

Artwork by Jill Morton - Click to see more!

The word from my heart pocket is Hunger.

We need nourishment. Our bodies need it, our minds need it, our sense of self, our sense of more than ourselves - All requires care in order to live.

Plant life lifts its arms to the sun for light. Its roots burrow deep for the cool wet nutrients of the earth. Animals in the wild migrate to accommodate their needs. All living creatures need nourishment to exist. When there is a void of that nourishment, we get hungry. When it threatens our survival, our choices change and we get the chance to change, too.

Hunger comes in many forms. It shows itself long before the gurgles begin, far ahead of the cramping pangs that squeeze the life out of us. Hunger isn't only biological and biological hunger isn't the only kind that can alter, maim and kill.  The signs of hunger are gentle at first and if we are too busy or too frightened or not practiced in honesty or courage, they are easily ignored and pushed aside. We suddenly find ourselves in a danger zone and we wonder how life can be so unfair.

Attention is a good antidote to hunger. It is a simple activity and doesn't require much energy. It is like the movement an owl makes as he turns his head every which way, examining all sides for danger and possible food. 

Hunger is an indication that something is lacking. It can cause movement. It will inspire genius. It releases creative juices and gets the mind and body moving. It can change the direction of lives.

No one is exempt from hunger. We might have plenty of money and feel like no one loves us. We might have oodles of ability and feel undervalued in our work. We might have great understanding and innately know how to teach others and not know how to use those gifts. We all hunger for something. It's good to be hungry now and then. Hunger reminds us how much we want to live.

Starvation can be fatal. It requires attention. Our world is suffering from starvation of all kinds. It is up to those of us who are not starving to lend a hand, including to ourselves. Give the gift of nourishment to those who need it. The opportunity is there every day, every week. Take a look at your own nourishment needs - laughter, self-discipline, relaxation, tenderness, permission, release from perfection. Nurture what feeds you. Answer the hungry call inside.