Art of Spiritual Living
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The Sacred Art of Bowing
Preparing to Practice
by Andi Young
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Open your heart, strengthen your spiritual core, and discover how the sacred art of bowing can enrich your spiritual life.
Daily, across America and across the world, people begin their day by bowing. Christians kneel for morning prayers, Muslims turn east to Mecca for the first salat (prayer) of the day, Jews daven (pray), and Buddhists prostrate themselves. Over the course of the day, many more people will find time to pause and, bending their body toward the earth, bow as part of their spiritual practice.
-from Chapter 1
The Sacred Art of Bowing serves as a welcoming introduction to the whys and ways of bowing. This ancient tradition-so often mistakenly tagged as only part of Asian cultures-has roots in nearly every religion around the world. In different forms in different faiths, people bow as a physical expression of their spiritual aspirations, humility, gratitude, and respect.
A companion for your journey rather than an instruction book, The Sacred Art of Bowing shares helpful insights that will inspire you to begin or deepen your own bowing practice through:
• A comprehensive look at bowing as practiced in many spiritual traditions
• Illustrations of bowing in practice
• Inspiring reflections from people who practice the sacred art of bowing
• Advice on how you too can incorporate bowing in your daily spiritual life.
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The Sacred Art of Fasting
Preparing to Practice
by Thomas Ryan
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Open your mind and heart and discover how the sacred art of fasting can strengthen your spiritual appetite. Fasting as a religious act increases our sensitivity to that mystery always and everywhere present to us. It is an invitation to awareness, a call to compassion for the needy, a cry of distress, and a song of joy. It is a discipline of self-restraint, a ritual of purification, and a sanctuary for offerings of atonement. It is a wellspring for the spiritually dry, a compass for the spiritually lost, and inner nourishment for the spiritually hungry
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Fly Fishing-The Sacred Art
Casting a Fly as Spiritual Practice
by Eric Eisenkramer
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Discover the spiritual potential hidden in every cast of the fly rod.
"For us, fly-fishing is about more than catching fish. We have been skunked on the stream too many times to count, and stood shivering in our waders in 45-degree water long after sundown. Yet, every chance we get, we head back to the river in search of trout and something more."
-from Rabbi Eric's Introduction
"Early in my fly-fishing career I remember telling a friend that there is so much to learn! Some forty years later, that is still true. Every trip I learn something new about rivers, fish and the natural world. Most importantly, I learn something new about myself. Every encounter with the waters of our planet draws me deeper into who I am and who I want to become."
-from Reverend Mike's Introduction
In this unique exploration of fly-fishing as a spiritual practice, an Episcopal priest and a rabbi share what fly-fishing has to teach us about reflection, awe and the wonder of the natural world, the benefits of solitude, the blessing of community and the search for the Divine. Tapping the wisdom in the Christian and Jewish traditions and their own geographically diverse experiences on the water, they show how time spent on the stream can help you navigate the currents and eddies of your own inner journey.
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Grieving-The Sacred Art
Hope in the Land of Loss
by Lisa Irish
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
For most people, the pain of loss dominates their experience of grief. Grief then becomes something to be avoided or completed as quickly as possible. In her new book, Lisa Irish presents grief as our "ally" in the Land of Loss and offers pathways and resources to navigate the confusing and challenging terrain. She explores "conscious grieving," as she gathers the wisdom of bereavement experts, spiritual leaders and everyday people walking their own individual paths. Lisa encourages us to let seeds of hope find their way into our grieving hearts, to allow self-compassion during the journey, and to trust grief's healing process. Grieving - The Sacred Art makes a space for love in our sadness and leads us into a Land of Hope.
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Teaching-The Sacred Art
The Joy of Opening Minds and Hearts
by Jane E. Vennard
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Authentic teaching is messy, exciting, frustrating, joyful, challenging—and sacred.
"Through stories, information and reflection, we [will look] inward, going more deeply into the discovery of who we are, not only as teachers but also as women and men for whom teaching is only a part of life. I believe the deepest calling ... is the call to be who we truly are."
—from Chapter Seven, "Teaching Who We Are"
Beloved teacher Rev. Jane E. Vennard leads an inner exploration of the hopes and fears, joys and frustrations, gifts and limitations that influence teachers of all kinds—teachers like you—every day. Drawing on her own experience as well as stories from many teachers in conventional and unconventional settings, she inspires you to reconnect to your original desire to open minds and hearts to learning. With reflection questions, practices and activities, she helps you reinvigorate your passion for your vocation, your students and your subject, thus recognizing how teaching is a sacred art.
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The Sacred Art of Chant
Preparing to Practice
by Ana Hernandez
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Open your mind and heart, lift your voice, and discover how the sacred art of chant can enrich your spiritual life.
The Sacred Art of Chant invites you to use your own voice to create sacred sounds, no matter your religious background or vocal ability. Drawing on chants from several different faith traditions, this invigorating guidebook is ideal for anyone who wants to enliven their prayer experience in a unique way and navigate a path to a conscious relationship with God.
Chant isn't just about monks or ancient Hindu gurus, this dynamic spiritual art continues to be developed and practiced today. Like other spiritual disciplines, chant can lead to limitless and unexpected benefits. With a steady practice and an open mind, you may find that chant helps you to: • Cultivate clarity, focus, and compassion in your daily life • Improve your listening skills • Raise your energy level • Improve your receptivity to other people • Transcend the limits you impose on yourself • Feel more comfortable in your own skin • Ultimately, lead a more complete spiritual life.
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The Sacred Art of Listening
Forty Reflections for Cultivating a Spiritual Practice
by Kay Lindahl
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Hearing and listening are two different things.
Learning to listen-really listen-requires sacred practice.
The Sacred Art of Listening guides you through forty practices of deep listening-to our Source, to ourselves, and to each other.
Inspiring text and contemplative artwork combine to communicate the three essential qualities of deep listening-silence, reflection, and presence. They demonstrate that the key to healthy relationships and spiritual transformation can be as basic as practicing the art of listening.
You will learn how to:
• Speak clearly from the heart
• Communicate with courage and compassion
• Heighten your awareness and sensitivity to opportunities for deep listening
• Enhance your ability to listen to people with different belief systems
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Giving-The Sacred Art
Creating a Lifestyle of Generosity
by Lauren Tyler Wright
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Practical tips and inspiring thoughts for living a life of abundance and spirit-filled generosity.
Giving of your resources is a profound act that can change your life and the lives of those around you. With gentleness and wisdom, this practical guide outlines the ways in which cultivating a lifestyle of generosity can be a source of personal transformation, spiritual renewal and deep joy. You will learn about:
• Giving as Worship-how the major faith traditions offer reverence through giving
• Giving as Stewardship-managing resources for maximum benefit
• Giving as Charity-providing for others out of a sense of compassion
• Giving as Justice-creating righteous equality in our world
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Conversation-The Sacred Art
Practicing Presence in an Age of Distraction
by Diane M. Millis
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Cultivate the potential for deeper connection in every conversation.
"To think of conversation as a sacred art challenges us to imagine all the conversations in which we participate, from the acquaintance we run into at Target to the dialogue for which we've spent weeks in preparation, as a potentially sacred conversation."
-from the Introduction
We often find ourselves distracted and overwhelmed by a constant stream of information and demand for connectivity. Now more than ever, we need to develop our capacity for greater presence in our daily lives and relationships. One of the best ways to do this is by improving the quality of our conversations. Dr. Diane Millis offers us inspirational stories, insights and spiritual practices from many faith traditions to increase our awareness of the deep, natural holiness waiting to be unlocked in our everyday encounters.
This resource is a catalyst for anyone who would like to enrich seemingly ordinary conversations as well as for leaders in educational, ministry and corporate settings who want to:
• Increase their capacity to listen deeply
• Become more self-aware and attentive to others
• Learn how to move beyond conventional topics to exploring purpose, meaning and values in conversation.
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The Sacred Art of Forgiveness
Forgiving Ourselves and Others through God's Grace
by Marcia Ford
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Tap into the power of the Divine. Learn how to forgive-and be forgiven.
Everyone knows that forgiveness is a virtue and a key to emotional, spiritual and even physical well-being. But learning how to actually forgive-or to accept forgiveness, as the case may be-is a sacred art few of us have mastered.
It doesn't have to be that way. Writing from personal experience and her broad knowledge of many faith traditions, Marcia Ford offers a new perspective on forgiveness and reconciliation, an approach rooted in the Spirit that can be learned by anyone no matter how deep the hurt. Through real-life examples, penetrating reflections, scriptural references and practical suggestions, Ford outlines the steps that one by one can help you to forgive, including:
• Coming to terms with anger, bitterness and resentment
• Understanding the differences between forgiveness and reconciliation
• Taking the initiative, even when you're the one who's been wronged
• Strategies for listening "with the heart" in emotionally charged situations
• Knowing when to forgive and forget-and when to forgive and take action
• Ways of allowing the power of the Divine to work through you
• Finding compassion for others-and for yourself
• ... and much more
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Hospitality-The Sacred Art
Discovering the Hidden Spiritual Power of Invitation and Welcome
by Nanette Sawyer
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Learn how this ancient spiritual practice can transform your relationship with yourself, with others and with God.
"The practice of deep hospitality can help us step into a more vital, vibrant embrace of this great adventure we call life-which includes our relationship with God, however you might define God... It is an invitation to walk through life with a liberating posture of receptivity, reverence, and generosity."
-from the Introduction
We may think of hospitality as merely being polite to guests, but the ancients understood the profound potential hospitality holds for building and transforming lasting relationships-for binding families together, making strangers into friends, even turning enemies into neighbors.
This practical book provides you with the tools you need to cultivate the spiritual power of invitation and welcome in your life. Guided by Rev. Nanette Sawyer, you will discover the qualities of hospitality-receptivity, reverence, and generosity-and how these qualities can significantly deepen your self-understanding as well as your relationships with others and with God. Drawing from sacred texts and spiritual practitioners from all faiths, this book also addresses the major stumbling blocks that prevent you from becoming truly hospitable.
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Decision Making & Spiritual Discernment
The Sacred Art of Finding Your Way
by Nancy L. Bieber
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Stay spiritually grounded and open to divine wisdom as you shape your life.
"To make wise decisions, we need the aid of that wise and loving Spirit whose wisdom and light exceed our own. With the Spirit illuminating the complexities of our decisions, we can see and understand more about ourselves and our choices."
-from the Introduction
Spiritual discernment is the traditional name for listening and responding to divine guidance. In this book you will approach decision making as an active participant, a co-creator with God in shaping your life. Drawing on twenty-five years of experience as a psychologist and fifteen years as a spiritual director, Nancy L. Bieber presents three essential aspects of Spirit-led decision making:
• Willingness-being open to God's wisdom and love
• Attentiveness-noticing what is true, discerning the right path
• Responsiveness-taking steps forward as the way becomes clear.
With gentle encouragement, Bieber shows how to weave these themes together to discover the best path for you.
Each chapter is enriched by practical spiritual exercises to help you understand yourself and your specific situation, as well as to strengthen spiritual discernment as a daily way of life. An appendix includes a detailed guide for using the book in group study.
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Haiku-The Sacred Art
A Spiritual Practice in Three Lines
by Margaret D. McGee
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Have a haiku moment when your mind stops and your heart moves.
Writing haiku offers the chance to honor, hold, and fully experience a fleeting moment that takes you out of yourself, a moment that hints at the deeper unity that lies beneath the surface of things.
from Chapter One
In this encouraging guide for both beginning and experienced haiku writers, Margaret D. McGee shows how writing haiku can be a consciously spiritual practice for seekers of any faith tradition or no tradition.
Drawing from her experience as a spiritual retreat leader and published haiku writer, McGee takes the mystery and intimidation out of beginning to write haiku. For those already on their way, she provides helpful hints and exercises to broaden and deepen both your haiku artistry and your appreciation of haiku as part of your spiritual life. With humor and encouragement, she offers step-by-step exercises for both individuals and writing groups, and shows how haiku can help you:
• Pay attention to the world around you to connect with sacred moments
• Overcome fear and self-doubt to access your innate creativity
• Explore and use haiku together with spiritual practices in your own faith tradition
• Make haiku a spiritual part of your daily routine.
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Surrendered-The Sacred Art
Shattering the Illusion of Control and Falling into Grace with Twelve-Step Spirituality
by Rami Shapiro
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
To live the surrendered life-a life no longer centered on control and hence no longer at odds with the ordinary suffering of everyday living. Rabbi Rami closely examines the first three steps of Twelve-Step recovery to help us cut through the denial, illusions, and falsehoods that bind us in our fight with addictions of all kinds. He draws upon his half-century engagement with Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and Islam, as well as his own and other people's struggles in Twelve-Step recovery, to guide us in our awakening to reality's freedom and the path to living joyously and well.
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Pilgrimage-The Sacred Art
Journey to the Center of the Heart
by Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Explore the many dimensions of the pilgrimage experience and change your orientation to the world.
"Pilgrimage is an opportunity for pilgrims to cultivate their inner life (or inner voice) in a way that leads to a greater sense of peace and compassion-a sense that pervades all of life."
-From Chapter 6, "Preparing to Practice"
Pilgrimage is a spiritual practice of nearly every major religion of the world. If you are a Christian you may travel to sites associated with the life of Jesus; Jews might visit the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem and other sacred places in the Holy Land of Israel; Muslims participate in the Hajj, the journey to Mecca; Buddhists visit the sacred sites related to the life of Buddha. Even if you practice no religion at all you will still find that you most likely participate in this practice-the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC, and Lenin's tomb in Moscow are considered national pilgrimage sites. As a spiritual practice, pilgrimage transcends religious, national, cultural and linguistic boundaries.
This fascinating look at the sacred art of pilgrimage integrates spirituality, practice, spiritual formation, psychology, world religions and historical resources. It examines how the world's religious pilgrimages evolved as central spiritual practices and the relationship between pilgrimage and transformation. It explains what makes a place holy, and why and how some sites are so compelling that they attract thousands, even millions of pilgrims each year.
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Writing-The Sacred Art
Beyond the Page to Spiritual Practice
by Rami Shapiro
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Push your writing through the trite and the boring to something fresh, something transformative.
"Writing as spiritual practice has nothing to do with readers per se. You aren't writing to be read; you are writing to be freed. Writing as spiritual practice is conspiratorial rather than inspirational. It conspires to strip away everything you use to maintain the illusion of certainty, security and self-identity. Where spiritual writing seeks to bind you all the more tightly to the self you imagine yourself to be, writing as spiritual practice intends to free you from it."
-from Rami's Preface
This isn't about how to write spiritual books. It isn't about the romance of writing. It doesn't cover the ins and outs of publishing and building a brand. Instead, this fresh and unapologetic guide to writing as a spiritual practice approaches writing as a way to turn the spiral of body, heart, mind, soul and spirit that leads to spiritual awakening.
Lead by renowned spirituality teacher Rami Shapiro and award-winning writer and writing coach Aaron Shapiro-and featuring over fifty unique, practical exercises-it takes you beyond assigning inspirational words to the page. It shows you how to use your writing to unlock the joy of life and the infinite perspectives and possibilities that living provides.
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Dreaming-The Sacred Art
Incubating, Navigating and Interpreting Sacred Dreams for Spiritual and Personal Growth
by Lori Joan Swick
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Awaken to the wonders of your dreamself, and energize your spiritual potential for self-understanding and self-healing.
"Without a doubt, people of all times and places have had the capacity to dream the sacred. I write this book in a sincere effort to create space for us to share these dreams and to provide a practical guide to nurturing sacred dreaming as an art."
-from the Introduction
Sacred dreams-those in which the dreamer experiences the immediate presence of or communication with the Divine-have shaped the spiritual history of humankind. Jacob's ladder dream, Joseph's dream verifying Mary's virgin pregnancy and Herod's plans to destroy the child, Siddhartha Gautama Buddha's auspicious dreams on his journey to enlightenment, Muhammad's night journey dream-the pervasive power of the sacred dream is part of the scripture and lore of virtually all the world's religions.
This fascinating introduction to sacred dreaming celebrates the dream experience as a way to deepen spiritual awareness and as a source of self-healing for people of all faith traditions-or none. Includes practical, step-by-step exercises in every chapter.
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The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness
Preparing to Practice
by Rami Shapiro
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Open your heart and mind and discover-through the sacred art of lovingkindness-the image and likeness of God in yourself and others.
"The question at the heart of this book is this: Will you engage this moment with kindness or with cruelty, with love or with fear, with generosity or scarcity, with a joyous heart or an embittered one? This is your choice and no one can make it for you... Heaven and hell are both inside of you. It is your choice that determines just where you reside."
-from the Introduction
We are all born in the image of God, but living out the likeness of God is a choice. This inspiring, practical guidebook provides you with the tools you need to realize the divinity within yourself, recognize the divinity within others, and act on the obligation to manifest God's infinite compassion in your own life.
Guided by Rabbi Rami Shapiro, you will explore Judaism's Thirteen Attributes of Lovingkindness as the framework for cultivating a life of goodness. Shapiro translates these attributes into practices-drawn from the teachings of a variety of faith traditions-that allow you to actualize God's glory through personal deeds of lovingkindness. You will enrich your own capacity for lovingkindness as you:
• Harvest kindness through compassionate honesty
• Make room in your heart for reality
• Recognize the manifestations of God
• Embrace the paradoxical truth of not-knowing
• Be present in the moment
• Do right by others
With candor, wit, and honesty, Shapiro shows you that by choosing to act out of love rather than fear, with kindness rather than anger, you can transform how you perceive the world and ultimately lead a more complete spiritual life.
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Practicing the Sacred Art of Listening
A Guide to Enrich Your Relationships and Kindle Your Spiritual Life
by Kay Lindahl
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Poor listening leads to misunderstandings and lost opportunities.
Learning to listen well requires spiritual practice.
It happens at work and at home, with strangers and close friends, in heated debates and in quiet conversations-you hear someone speaking, but often you don't truly listen.
Kay Lindahl's highly respected workshops are attended by people from a broad range of backgrounds. Her first book, The Sacred Art of Listening, has been published to acclaim in North America, Europe, and Asia. Now she offers practical, easy-to-follow advice and exercises to enhance your capacity to listen in a spirit-filled way. Using examples from her own life and her work as a teacher of the sacred art of listening, Lindahl explores the nature and use of silence, reflection, and divine presence as foundational qualities of listening and shows you how you can apply these in your everyday life.
This valuable workshop-in-a-book examines the varied ways we are called to deep listening, including:
• Contemplative listening
• Reflective listening
• Heart listening
• Listening in groups
• Listening in conversations ... and more
You will find yourself inspired to discover how different your conversations will be when you stop just talking and start really listening.
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Dance-The Sacred Art
The Joy of Movement as a Spiritual Practice
by Cynthia Winton-Henry
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Unlock the transformative power of movement as a life-changing spiritual practice.
If you’re thinking But I’m not a dancer or I feel awkward, I hope to reassure you. You don’t need a special talent to move. You don’t need to be graceful or especially coordinated. You don’t need a body that’s in shape. Dancing helps us embrace all this humanity. Dance connects us to the holy of life.
from the Introduction
Seize the joy and healing power of dance! Drawing from her years of experience as a dance and movement teacher, and as cofounder of the international dance organization Inter Play, Cynthia Winton-Henry helps you overcome your embarrassment or anxiety and discover in dance a place of solace and restoration, as well as an energizing spiritual force. She taps into the spirit of dancing throughout history and in many world cultures to provide detailed exercises that will help you learn to trust your body and interpret its physical and spiritual intentions. For both newcomers and seasoned movers alike, she encourages you to embrace dance as a spiritual tool to:
• Celebrate your unique spirituality and get in touch with your emotions
• Unify your body and mind, and push your personal boundaries
• Work through trauma or crisis and restore spiritual well-being
• Deepen your relationships and strengthen your community
• Find spiritual direction
• ... and much more!
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Recovery-The Sacred Art
The Twelve Steps as Spiritual Practice
by Rami Shapiro
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Deepen Your Capacity to Live Free from Addiction-and from Self and Selfishness
"Twelve Step recovery is much more than a way to escape the clutches of addictive behaviors. Twelve Step recovery is about freeing yourself from playing God, and since almost everyone is addicted to this game, Twelve Step recovery is something from which everyone can benefit."
-from the Introduction
In this hope-filled approach to spiritual and personal growth, the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous are uniquely interpreted to speak to everyone seeking a freer and more God-centered life. This special rendering makes them relevant to those suffering from specific addictions-alcohol, drugs, gambling, food, sex, shopping-as well as the general addictions we wrestle with daily, such as anger, greed, and selfishness.
Rami Shapiro describes his personal experience working the Twelve Steps as adapted by Overeaters Anonymous and shares anecdotes from many people working the Steps in a variety of settings. Drawing on the insights and practices of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and Islam, he offers supplementary practices from different religious traditions to help you move more deeply into the universal spirituality of the Twelve Step system.
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Running-The Sacred Art
Preparing to Practice
by Warren A. Kay
Part of the Art of Spiritual Living series
Lace up your running shoes and discover how your daily run can enrich your spiritual life. We run for exercise, relaxation and sometimes to indulge our competitive spirit. Now Warren A. Kay takes you on an exploration of an often-overlooked facet of the sport: running as an intentional spiritual practice.
Kay's approach is more than just "blissing out" on a run. He combines penetrating reflections on God, creation and the role of Spirit in our lives with practical, concise tips for starting your own spiritual running journal. He helps turn your ordinary runs into extraordinary opportunities for spiritual growth. Whether you've logged thousands of miles or are new to the sport, you'll find the guidance and inspiration you need in this unique book. Experience your daily run as: Sanctuary, running time is sacred time. Prayer, open yourself to conversation with God. Meditation, reach inside yourself to find spiritual comfort, Sacrament, experience the Divine in the physicality of running. Pilgrimage, a run is the journey and the destination
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