Latest / INSPIRE STORY / spired Story for Adults to Sleep

Transcript

spired Story for Adults to Sleep · INSPIRE STORY

0:14
Speaker 1: Hello, My name is Jason Stephenson, and welcome to this
0:18
bedtime story the Adults of All Ages, a story designed
0:23
to soothe your soul as you drift into a deep
0:27
and restorative sleep. As you listen to this story, simply
0:32
allow your heart to open, your body to relax, your
0:37
mind to journey alongside Thomas, the wanderer of this tale.
0:44
So before we begin, just take a few deep breaths,
0:47
now settling yourself in, allow your body to become entirely still,
0:53
aside from the gentle waves of your breath causing the
0:57
bellita rise and fall, and let us begin. Thomas is
1:22
startled as he awakens abruptly. He had nearly dozed off,
1:29
his head having fallen backwards to rest on the wall
1:32
behind him. Thomas looks around and notices that he is
1:38
not the only one. All around him. Early morning workers
1:44
are catching a few more moments of sleep before arriving
1:48
at their destinations, though no one else seems to have
1:52
awoken at that moment. Must be one of those hypnotic jerks,
1:58
He thinks, perhaps I hadn't even fallen asleep at all.
2:03
Thomas's daily commute is a particularly long one. He lives
2:08
in his own flat at the southernmost end of the
2:11
Northern Line in London. Despite the lengthy journey into work
2:16
each morning, he never misses an opportunity to remind himself
2:20
of how gratefully he is to find an open seat.
2:25
He is always one of the first on the train.
2:29
Perhaps he thinks the distance is worth the seated journey
2:33
in Thomas thinks about the place he is whizzing off
2:36
to at the early hour in the day. He is
2:39
a program manager for a small but well respected software
2:43
development company based in London. He has worked there for
2:48
nearly eight years, having started there when he first finished
2:51
his studies. He enjoys the company of the people he
2:56
works with and has a good working relationship with his boss.
3:02
But something in Thomas's gut contracts each time he thinks
3:07
about walking into the office. He watches this reaction come
3:14
and then watches it leave, though never forgetting that something
3:20
is not sitting right. He arrives at work that morning
3:27
and says hello to the others who have also arrived.
3:29
For seven a m. He prefers to get his day
3:34
started as soon as possible so that he can finish
3:37
up early and enjoy the late day sun as it
3:40
falls upon the lush, green parks of London. His fingers
3:45
get to work, typing away to clients and working on projects. Sometimes,
3:52
usually when afternoon rolls around and the others have not
3:55
yet returned from lunch, he takes a break from software
3:59
to do some research on places he might like to
4:02
visit Japan, Australia, Peru, Greece. But on this particular morning
4:12
he has focused is busy working on a new project
4:16
for a start up company based in Athens. As he
4:20
types away, his boss gently interrupts him with a proposal. Thomas,
4:28
I've been thinking, she says, I'd really love for us
4:32
to get to know the team in Athens on a
4:34
personal level. I'd like to send you over there to
4:39
meet our clients and to put a face to our name.
4:43
There really is potential here for a long and strong
4:46
relationship for the first time in a long time. Thomas
4:54
beams and his heart flutters, a smile stretched from ear
5:00
to ear. His boss, Louisa, takes this as a yes,
5:06
I'd love to. He'll spend five days in the city,
5:10
with plenty of time for both work and a bit
5:13
of exploration. Thomas's mother is Greek, having grown up just
5:19
outside of Athens many moons ago. She moved to England
5:24
when she was quite young, returning only a few times
5:28
since then. Thomas himself has never been, but has always
5:33
felt a strong yearning in his bones to return to
5:37
the place of his ancestors. Life has simply gotten too busy,
5:43
he thinks, but he knows this is no excuse. Thomas
5:49
returns home that night and begins packing immediately. He is
5:55
not due to leave until the end of the week,
5:58
but struggles to contain his excitement. He calls his mother
6:03
and father to tell them. They are both delighted. He
6:10
rests in bed that night, looking out his window to
6:14
the stars and the sky. The moon is nearly full,
6:19
illuminating the city and the surrounding lands below. Plains pass
6:25
by as flashing lights that effortlessly float across the universe. Soon,
6:31
he thinks, I will be inside one of these vessels.
6:35
He has not flown since he was a teenager, and
6:39
he is now approaching thirty. Memories begin creeping into his mind.
6:49
He thinks about his childhood and the strong bond he
6:52
had with his grandparents. His grandfather on his father's side
6:57
was a farmer. Thomas remembers trapsing through the fields with him,
7:03
and sometimes into the forest to collect wild berries and herbs.
7:08
He always felt as if he were in a fairy
7:11
tale when they wandered off into the woods. Something about
7:15
it felt mystical. Perhaps it was the way the wind
7:20
would rustle the leaves, or the sounds of the flittering birds.
7:25
Perhaps it was the crunching of twigs under foot. He
7:30
loved the smell of evergreens and the way the light
7:33
trickled in through the dense canopy overhead. Perhaps he thinks
7:39
it was a blend of all these things. He remembers
7:43
his mother's mother vividly, the way she cooked, the way
7:48
she laughed. She was incredibly kind and loving, and always
7:54
requested Thomas and his sister Katrina help in the kitchen.
8:00
The two of them would rinse and dry the leafy
8:03
greens and herbs, and then help their grandmother cook the
8:06
pasta sauce. They'd stir and stir and stir as she
8:13
added all sorts of aromatic herbs to the simmering tomatoes.
8:19
It had been a long time since Thomas had cooked,
8:23
a realization that stirred something in his belly. He missed it.
8:29
He missed the slowness of time that enveloped him when
8:33
he helped his grandmother prepare dinner. It's been too long,
8:39
far too long, he thinks. In this moment, Thomas vows
8:45
to get back into the kitchen. After returning from his
8:48
trip to Athens. The week passes slowly until finally Friday arrives.
8:56
With his bags packed, Thomas takes one last look around
9:00
his apartment. He knows he is only gone for an
9:04
extra long weekend, but says, so long anyways. On the
9:10
train to the airport, Thomas admires the greenery of London's outskirts.
9:17
The sun is shining and the may blossoms are a
9:20
sure sign that spring has arrived. He feels a quiet
9:25
anticipation whirling in his heart. Though the trip is primarily
9:31
for business, he will have the entire weekend to explore
9:36
the city of Athens before meeting his client on Monday.
9:41
It has been a long time since he's taken a
9:43
trip like this, and one to his mother's homeland is
9:47
stirring his sense of adventure. His flight to Athens from
9:55
London is only a few hours long. As the plains
10:00
through the clouds, he looks down on the continent below,
10:05
appearing and disappearing as the plane moves in and out
10:09
of the sky's vale. How miraculous. Thomas thinks that humans
10:15
are able to fly. As a child, he often dreamt
10:21
about being able to fly. In one particular reoccurring dream,
10:26
he would watch himself sprout wings and soar across open
10:31
fields and oceans. He then awake, thinking that perhaps the
10:35
dream was a prophecy for his future. Thomas laughs to
10:41
himself at the recognition of this memory and thinks, perhaps
10:45
this sort of flying is not quite the same, but
10:49
it is certainly close enough. The plain lands by early
10:56
afternoon and Thomas makes his way into the center of town.
11:00
Is staying at a small guest house within a short
11:03
walking distance of the city's ancient ruins. He checks in
11:09
and wanders up the spiral stone staircase to the third floor.
11:18
His room is immaculate, with a delicate blend of rustic
11:23
and modern touches. It is simple, but it is all
11:28
he could need. He takes a deep breath in and
11:32
releases a sigh. As he breathes out, a wave of
11:37
peace and comfort overcomes him. The room boasts a small
11:43
balcony with sheer curtains covering the glass door that opens
11:47
to the outside world. Thomas makes his way to the
11:52
balcony and steps out His room looks out into the
11:57
ancient Acropolis Athens buzz is below, a city he is
12:02
ready to explore. Thomas wanders through the narrow streets and alleys,
12:31
through markets, and along winding roads that are lined with trees.
12:38
With no map, he feels entirely lost, and yet with
12:43
no concerns in the world. He is taking the unknown road,
12:49
allowing it to unfold as he goes. Step by step,
12:55
He takes a few sets of stairs and wanders along
12:58
cobblestone pathways until he reaches the foot of the Acropolis.
13:04
Staring up at this ancient fortress, Thomas feels for a
13:09
moment as if he has wandered back in time. He
13:14
wonders what it would have been like to live in
13:16
ancient Greece. Countless myths come to mind as he recalls
13:22
some of the stories his grandmother used to tell. He
13:26
remembers it all feeling so very otherworldly, like the way
13:31
being at the foot of the Acropolis feels to him now.
13:37
He pays his admission and ventures in finding his breath
13:42
having gone missing for just a few moments. As he enters,
13:47
something has taken him aback, nearly moving him to tears.
13:53
As he surrenders to this space and to the emotion
13:56
arising in him, he realizes how long it has been
14:01
since he has allowed himself to be moved. The trip
14:05
to Athens begins to unveil a new Thomas, a version
14:10
of himself he can't quite describe, but one that brings
14:14
about feelings of peace, confidence, and clarity. He breathes in
14:21
and out effortlessly as he wanders the ancient Greek city.
14:27
He dedicates the entire weekend to simply being indulging in
14:32
local cuisine, breathing in the history of ancient ruins, and
14:37
sleeping soundly for as long as his body calls for.
14:41
All worries melt away as he grants himself permission to
14:45
be entirely present with the land whose history courses through
14:50
his veins. It has been a long time since he
14:54
has slept so well. He drifts off easily and awakes
14:59
feeling inspired and energized. As he explores, he somehow forgets
15:07
all about his meeting on Monday morning, but still, when
15:12
the morning arrives, he packs his computer and heads to
15:17
the startup small office in the center of town. He
15:22
meets with Sam, the company's founder, and is introduced to
15:27
the team he's been working with virtually over the past month.
15:32
They talk about all things tech for what feels like hours,
15:36
while Thomas's heart is elsewhere. The meeting wraps up and
15:41
Sam thanks him greatly for coming all the way to
15:44
Athens to see what the company is like on the
15:47
ground level. Thomas smiles thanks him in return, and heads
15:54
back to his hotel for the final evening. A mixture
15:59
of emotions brew rose inside of him, but he struggles
16:03
to put his finger on what his heart is calling for.
16:07
On his final night in the city, Thomas sits on
16:11
his balcony overlooking the ruins and the rest of the city.
16:16
The air is warm and the sky is clear. Not
16:20
a cloud covers the sky. The moon, now waxing, still
16:27
casts a strong glow across the Earth's surface below. Thomas
16:33
gazes up at it, feeling a vaguely familiar connection to
16:38
the stars and the moon. Many years ago, Thomas recalls
16:44
being by the sea with his parents and his sister.
16:49
Each summer. They would pack up the car and drive
16:51
to a small bed and breakfast in the southwest tip
16:55
of England. Days during these long summer weekends were slow.
17:02
Time was spent walking along the beach or wandering nearby
17:06
towns and villages. Evenings were early, but Thomas remembers that
17:12
on some warm nights his father would prepare hot chocolate
17:16
and fill a couple of thermoses to the brim. The
17:21
entire family would sit beneath the stars, pointing out the
17:25
few constellations they knew, at the same time sipping the
17:30
sweet summer treat out of their travel mugs. Now, Thomas
17:37
feels nostalgia washing over him, nostalgia for the days when
17:42
he had fewer worries and was more connected to the
17:45
natural world around him. He stares up at the moon
17:50
now in Athens, feeling a wave of peace and comfort
17:54
come over him, as if it were a lullaby. The
17:59
moon over takes him, offering a sense that it is
18:03
now time to rest his body. It is now time
18:07
to let his body sleep for the night. He makes
18:11
his way to his bed and dozes off swiftly and soundly.
18:17
Thomas returns to London the next day. Over the next
18:21
few days, he feels a strong longing for something, though
18:24
he is not quite sure for what. He has a
18:28
clear sense that it has something to do with his
18:31
trip to Athens. He misses the way that adventure made
18:36
him feel. It was as though a part of him
18:39
was coming up to the surface, coming back to his
18:43
conscious awareness. He senses that something is calling for his attention,
18:50
but he is not quite sure what to make of
18:52
it or what exactly it is saying. Thomas struggles to
18:59
focus on his work over the coming weeks. The voice
19:03
is growing, but he is starting to fear it. He
19:07
wonders if it would have been easier had he never
19:10
gone to Athens at all. He knows that something is
19:14
in him now is questioning the life he is living,
19:17
but it feels too frightening to listen more closely to
19:21
that voice, But it appears he has no choice. The
19:26
whispers become louder and louder, until finally becoming clear and confident.
19:33
Get back to the roots. At whispers with courage, get
19:37
back to the roots. Though he's not quite sure where
19:41
the path will lead him, he knows one thing for certain.
19:46
He must leave his job and return to the place
19:49
that inspired him. He must return to the country that
19:54
changed things. Fear bruise in his belly. Is not one
20:00
for taking risks, preferring to take pathways that are safe
20:04
and well lit. But he knows that he needs to jump.
20:10
He knows that now is the time to take a risk.
20:13
His future self, whoever that may be, is depending on it.
20:20
By the end of the week, Thomas resigns, spending the
20:25
next two weeks tying up loose ends and passing projects
20:28
onto other team members. He prepares himself for the unknown.
20:35
He thinks back to a quote by Lord Byron that
20:38
he first heard some time ago. It reads, there is
20:42
pleasure in the pathless woods by divine grace. His sister
20:50
returns to London from the United States and offers to
20:54
take over his apartment while he ventures back to the
20:58
land their ancestors come from. Unsure of where he is going,
21:04
Thomas closes his eyes and places his finger on a
21:08
map of Greece islands included to decide which road to take.
21:14
It lands on a far away island in the Aegean Sea,
21:18
on the small remote island of Capathus. He books flights
21:23
to reach this unknown land and packs his bags, though
21:27
he is not sure how long he will be gone
21:29
for he knows it will be a few months. He
21:33
is ready to reset entirely, not quite knowing what that means.
21:39
He finds a small guest house online offering long term
21:43
accommodation and books two months to start. It sounds tranquil,
21:49
being located high up in the mountains, in a small
21:52
village and with plenty of gardens around the property. It
21:56
sounds just like what he is looking for the plain lands.
22:19
A few days later, in the south end of the island,
22:22
he calls a taxi that takes him to a small
22:25
guest house in the tiny village of menentis a small
22:28
town that overlooks the stretch of sea between Greece and Turkey.
22:34
The owners of the small apartment he is renting live
22:37
just next door and come out to greet him. They
22:41
welcome him with open arms, showing him around the grounds
22:45
that will be his home for the next few months.
22:49
They extend an offer for him to join them at dinner.
22:54
Thomason packs his belongings and stares out the window that
22:58
overlooks the surrounding mountains and the port below. He breathes
23:04
in the fresh mountain air as he cracks open the
23:07
window while he's not quite sure what he is doing here,
23:13
he knows he is in the right place. Thomas heads
23:19
for the hills, packing a small bag with water and
23:23
fruit to sustain him for the afternoon's adventure. He walks
23:28
through the mountains, admiring the vastness of this small island.
23:33
Low Lying shrubs blanket the land as red, yellow, and
23:38
magenta blossoms brighten the primal landscape. The sun beams down
23:44
from overhead as he walks, allowing his instinct to guide him.
23:51
As he wanders the land with no plan and no
23:54
goal to guide him, he realizes it's been years since
23:59
his walk to this aimlessly, perhaps not since childhood. He
24:05
feels free, completely untethered, and prepared to begin again. He
24:13
had expected to be overcome with jitters during these first
24:16
few days, but he feels quite at peace instead, Occasionally
24:21
worried thoughts overcome his mind, founding him with questions about
24:26
what his plan is and what his intentions are. However,
24:30
he knows that he does not hold the answers to
24:33
these questions just yet, but he reminds himself that that
24:38
is okay. Upon his return to the apartment, he witnesses
24:45
how tired his body feels. He finds Maria and George,
24:50
the owners of the guest house, and politely asks if
24:53
he might join them the following night for dinner instead,
24:57
as he is feeling tired from the day's activity. They
25:01
tell him to rest well and let him know that
25:03
he is welcome to join them any time. Thomas slips
25:09
quietly into bed and falls swiftly into a deep, deep sleep.
25:17
That night, he dreams he is an astronaut floating far
25:22
away in outer space, looking down at the world and
25:26
realizing how small it really is. From way out in
25:31
the galaxy, the Earth feels like a very small home.
25:36
He realizes it is just one planet amongst millions of
25:40
other floating bodies in the universe. The dream brings him
25:45
a sense of wonder, inspiration, and a new found appreciation
25:50
for the Earth he lives on and for the life
25:53
that courses through his body. From way up here, he
25:58
can see that the Earth is a home amongst other homes,
26:02
and in the dream he thinks, Wow, what a beautiful
26:06
home I ended up living in. He awakens the next morning,
26:11
feeling the clarity of the dream still with him, and
26:15
in honor of the Earth, he decides to walk yet again,
26:21
As he walks, he connects with the earth through each
26:24
step he takes. In some ways, Thomas feels as if
26:30
he is a baby learning to walk for the first time.
26:35
Is never given much thought to the ground beneath his feet,
26:39
but now he feels deeply connected to the land that
26:43
supports him. After some time, he reaches a secluded beach
26:52
where he nestles himself into the warm sand. He revels
26:56
at the way the sand seems to wrap itself around
26:59
his body as he nestles in. Staring out at the ocean,
27:07
is reminded of the dream and of how the earth
27:10
revolves around as one complete unit. In his bones, he
27:15
now knows that he and everything around him lives and
27:19
breathes together as a single organism. He breathes in the
27:25
ocean air, feeling more and more settled in his body
27:29
and in his surroundings. That afternoon, Thomas returns to the guesthouse,
27:39
feeling more energized and connected to himself and to the land.
27:44
He makes his way to the second building on the property,
27:48
to the home occupied by Maria and George. They are
27:53
getting ready for dinner by chopping herbs, rolling small pieces
27:58
of pasta and preparing father to spread on their home
28:02
baked bread. He watches how intuitively their hands work with
28:07
the food they are preparing, and offers to help. I
28:11
won't be as quick as you, he warns them, to
28:15
which they reply, speed is not a desirable factor in
28:18
our kitchen. If anything, we like when things move slowly.
28:24
Thomas is reminded of how things moved in his grandmother's
28:28
kitchen and feels right at home. Over the next few days,
28:35
Maria and George teach Thomas how to prepare local delicacies
28:39
using herbs and produce them from the land. He learns
28:47
to make dom mardes, wrapping vine leaves around herbed rice.
28:53
Along the way, it dawns on him he has lost
28:56
himself entirely to the kitchen, lost to the state of flow.
29:02
His hands begin to work with the food, and he
29:04
prepares more effortlessly and intuitively. Thomas is reminded of how
29:10
much joy real food brings him from seed to stomach.
29:17
One night, during his first week, he has another vivid dream.
29:23
This time, however, is in an open meadow beneath a
29:27
large awning Wooden tables are lined up beneath the canopy
29:33
and are adorned with lace tablecloths and freshly picked flowers.
29:38
Small twinkling lights line the edges of the awning. As
29:42
dusk falls, his loved ones make their way to the table.
29:47
Thomas stands at the head of the table and passes
29:50
down dish after dish of food he has prepared for
29:54
his friends and family. The group feasts, laughing and whisper
30:00
bring beneath the midsummer night sky, savoring the head chef's
30:05
succulent creations. In the morning, he awakes, knowing exactly what
30:13
he is here for. He thinks about the voice that
30:16
came to him just a few weeks ago that whispered
30:19
get back to the roots, and suddenly it becomes clear
30:25
the roots he was meant to rediscover were not only
30:29
the roots that connected him to Greece, but also those
30:33
that permeate the land. He wants to know the earth
30:38
through food. He wants to nourish the earth and the
30:41
people on it through preparing wholesome plant foods and living
30:45
in connection to the land. He finds Maria that morning
30:50
and joins her in the garden. As he roams the
30:53
rows of plants, he feels inspired to learn about each
30:57
one to get to know the way they grow. He
31:02
asks Maria if she might teach her everything she knows,
31:06
and she beams, she would be honored to pass on
31:10
her knowledge of the land. Thomas remains in Capathus for
31:16
six more months, soaking up every bit of wisdom he
31:20
can get his heart and soul on. He learns to
31:25
take care of the soil, to harvest, to forage, to cook.
31:31
When his final month in Greece comes around, he feels
31:36
prepared to bring his knowledge back to his more permanent
31:39
home of London and to begin his life again. On
31:44
Thomas's last morning in Greece, he wakes early in Headsfrey's
31:49
favorite trail through the mountains. The sun has not yet risen,
31:53
and there are no signs of the world being awake
31:56
just yet. Thomas walks until till finally he reaches a
32:01
small cave that looks over the sea. He nestles himself
32:06
in as he watches the sun rise from the horizon.
32:11
Sitting here in awe of the landscape, the old Thomas
32:16
barely recognizes the new one, but the new one knows
32:21
the old Thomas well. It is the Thomas he was
32:24
born out of. As he watches the sun turn from
32:30
black to purple to gold. Thomas thanks the land for
32:35
bringing him home, is grateful for having returned to Greece,
32:41
but more importantly, perhaps he is blessed for having returned
32:45
to himself. He thanks whatever higher self within him helped
32:50
him to take the unknown leap that he would soon
32:53
come to know would change his life forever. This flight
33:22
takes off late that afternoon, and he knows that he
33:26
will one day return to this magical land. But now
33:31
he looks into the future, feeling ready to follow wherever
33:35
it leads. Upon his return, Thomas spends a few months
33:41
living with his parents in their country home. Luckily, his
33:46
sister is happy to continue living in his apartment, offering
33:50
him the time he needs to figure out what step
33:53
to take next. In the meantime, he cooks and cooks,
33:59
and until the refrigerator is empty of produce and stocked
34:04
with savory plant based meals. He offers his mother two
34:10
of her favorite traditional Greek foods, the dommades he perfected
34:15
while in Capathus, and a smooth, lightly salted father dip
34:20
with caramelized onions to go alongside fresh baked bread. She
34:25
is overjoyed by the delicious food, he is prepared, and
34:28
by his rediscovered sense of purpose and inspiration, thomasin rolls
34:34
in a culinary program upon returning home. Soon after, launches
34:39
his own catering company. He focuses on bringing plants to
34:44
plates in a way that feeds the souls of all,
34:49
nourishing both humans and the earth as one deeply into
34:53
grated organism. He starts off modestly, catering small events for
34:58
his friends, family, and their friends and family. Soon, however,
35:03
his catering company blooms, touching the plates and pallets of
35:08
countless people across his country. On the night after his
35:14
first successful event, an event that brought city dwellers to
35:18
the country side for a feast beneath the stars, he dreams.
35:25
In his dream, he rests on a beach on a
35:28
far away Greek island, looking out over the sea and
35:33
thinking about how vast the ocean is. He feels inspired
35:38
and connected to both himself and to the world around him,
35:43
sinking into the sand and listening to the waves rolled
35:47
gently into and away from the shore. It appears that
35:53
nothing and everything happens in this dream, a feeling that
35:57
has been with him since he first embarked on his
36:00
Greek adventure many months ago. For the rest of his life,
36:06
Thomas looks back on his early days, thanking the unknown
36:11
road for carrying him back to the roots. Each day
36:16
he feels grateful for that first trip to Athens, for
36:21
that detour that changed everything.