And however long that journey might be, it starts with a step. A small one , the first one , the most difficult one. The one that you are most afraid of … And yet you do it ! You take the first step and never look back. The journey has started...
There are some pieces of art that for some reason you may or may not ( consciously ) know, you resonate. It could be a painting , a movie , a song. You go back to it to find inspiration , motivation or just to remember something that is important to you. In my case is a poem. A poem by a Greek poet Konstantinos Cavafy that is called "Ithaka".
Some background
This poem is inspired by Homer's epic Odyssey , which describes the 10 year long journey of Odysseus to his home island Ithaka after the war of Troy had ended. Odysseus had many adventures and hardships in his returning trip to home and Cavafy uses them as a metaphor for the journey of life that we all have.
In the video above C.P.Cavafy's poem 'Ithaca' is recited by Sir Sean Connery and with music specially composed by Vangelis Papathanasiou.
ITHACA [C.P. Cavafy , 1911]
As you set out for Ithaca
hope that your journey is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians and Cyclops,
angry Poseidon-don't be afraid of them:
you'll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare sensasion
touches your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians and Cyclops,
wild Poseidon-you won't encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
Hope that your journey is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you come into harbors you're seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind-
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and learn again from those who know.
Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you're destined for.
But don't hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so that you're old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you've gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaca to make you rich.
Ithaca gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you would have not set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaca won't have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you'll have understood by then what these Ithacas mean.
As we set out…
For the journey … It could be a specific one that starts now or could be some other one that we already started. And the first step was taken and then another one and another...
And as we set out for Ithaka we know it's gonna be far.
And it's all right.
We will have time to marvel at the scenery and the inside…
And while we set out we know it's gonna be hard.
And it's all right.
We will emerge richer , fuller , better…
And as we reach our destination we know what to do .
You know what to do …
That's right … We prepare for next one !
And it's gonna be longer , tougher and more fulfilling …
And until we all marvel at the journey …
Be Healthy , Smile and Steem !