Haiku: Finding Your Place
“I think you travel to search and you come back home to find yourself there.” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Haiku: Finding Your Place – Open the Door Within
Finding Your Place I
Every day… we reach
Inside our hearts to seek … Love
To find our place … Home
When the cows come home…
ring the bells, open the doors
Let LOVE fill your space!
I grew up on three continents, and traveled most of my life from one locale to another. I used to call myself an international nomad, but I stopped claiming that title after I got married, had my twins, and settled into suburban life. America has been my home for the last 20+ years and, by claiming this nation and this space as a family person and an observer of life, I have come full circle in my effort to find my place in this world. But it has not come without its share of challenges… That is the norm of human birth; challenges are a big part of our human experience. As long as we live and push ourselves outside the confines and comforts of our family connections, we will face our peaks and valleys. Is there a life without struggle?
“There is just this moment. We are not trying to improve or to get anywhere else.” Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are
Haiku: Finding Your Place – Open the Door Within
Finding Your Place II
We traveled the globe…
Nomads in search of abode
We found it … within
Even as I write this post, I straddle multiple worlds. I speak a few languages (some poorly), and my family ties are far-reaching across the globe. I am still very much an internationalist, but my heart is inextricably tied to my American-born children, my Nigerian-born siblings, and my British family and friends. Our family ties are our first foundation in society, and those ties help us establish our sense of belonging. From that vantage point, we connect with the rest of the world in our search for our place. Our interactions in the world help us form all sorts of relationships, and we form many unions throughout our lives. While some unions fade over time, others remain, helping us endure the hardships, losses, and joys that make up our human experience. These unions and relationships feed our memory banks and our creativity, push us to look at ourselves, and open our hearts to understanding the world a bit better; so, to find our place, we must first find ourselves.
More Below!
“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” Harriet Beecher Stowe
Haiku: Finding Your Place – Open the Door Within
Finding Your Place III
While finding your place
Open the door within … look
You’re already home
Wherever you go…
the birds will come home to roost
There, you’ll find… yourself
I’ve always believed that everything in life has a season. Some times are for growth, and some for hibernation, and the same applies to every form of life. If we push against that natural order, we disrupt the process and can be led down a completely different pathway… not always with the best intentions. Still, to find who we truly are, we must listen, observe, and make time for ourselves; following the crowd is very much a lemming approach, and we know what happens to them. So find your space, place, and yourself, and marinate in your discoveries for a while. The results will empower and enrich your life. How are you finding your place in the world?
A Daily Word Prompt inspired this post: Finding Your Place – This week, tell us about a place that has helped shape who you are. You may tweak this challenge in a way that makes sense to you. Other ideas: Tell us about a place that is a key setting in your life story. Tell us about a country where you feel most at home. Describe a city that challenged (or defeated) you. A place you once loved is no longer the same. Why? To help other participants and new fans find your response in the Reader, tag your post #DiscoverWP. Not sure how to add a tag? Learn more.
Positive Motivation Tip: First, find your place within
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos: From Public Domain photos on Pixabay and my Personal Collection
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
Sometimes you do not know where your place is and then it all clicks into place. Travelling and meeting new people can help you find yourself!
I agree. It does happen like that for so many of us…
“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” i love this phrase very much thanks for sharing this kind of motivation
I love it too, because it conveys hope and the importance of staying on the journey. Thank you!
I also think everything has a season. It sounds like you have had many seasons and planted roots in some of those.
Indeed, I have, and I bet you have too. That’s life, right? TY!
It took me a really long time, but I am finally exactly where I am supposed to be.
I can relate, and I agree with you on that. Some folks never reflect, so they don’t really think things through. I’m with you.
Such a wonderful Haiku. I have not written one of those in a very long time. You have certainly had your fair share of traveling. I have never left North America, someday I hope to have the opportunity. For now i am here raising my family, and for now it is perfect! 🙂
I hope you travel well, Wren, especially since your name reminds me of a soaring bird, free and flying… Thank you!
Those door pictures are so cool! I love the crazy wall paper.
If that is what you got out of this post. So be it. Ha!
I’m finding my place in the world but realizing that the most important thing in life is to be happy, because you never know what will come next.
That is true… be happy
Not trying to be corny but home is where the heart is and mine is now in Canada because my granddaughter was born here. 🙂
I hear you, and that is perfect. That is where your heart is.
Finding my place in life was a little difficult, but I did it. And I’m so happy now.
I am happy for you too!
Nice and Lovely!
Wonderful!
Beautiful haiku. So much warmth in them. I can definitely feel the vibes.
I am glad you enjoyed it.
A life without challenges would be very dull and makes for dull people.
I concur. Thank you!
For me, finding my place is finding my true happiness. It’s kinda hard because we have to reconsider a lot of things and loved ones, but I believe in myself and know I’ll find it, and everything else will take care of itself. Ask for God’s grace and guidance, and I will never know what He can do for me/us.
This is true. Our faith sees us through a lot of life’s twists and turns.
I am born and raised in California. I believe that home is wherever you make it. We get so busy and forget how important it is to take the time and enjoy life. What a great post! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you too. It creeps up on us as we age, especially if we have moved a lot and lived in several countries.
wonderful said. i love this article
I’m glad you enjoyed my post.
While finding your place
Open the door within … look
You’re already home
I love this part. Travelling the world is such a great experience but it is within yourself that you find peace and home.
Indeed, it is. WE miss your presence. Hope all is well.
T.S. Eliot has a quote that would fit, about ending up where you began. As a frequent traveler, I have to agree that there are ways travel helps us find our place in the world. I love where you went with the prompt.
Thank you. It surprised me, and that is what I enjoy about responding to these WP prompts.
Brilliantly done!
Thank you!
A place that has helped shape who I am? I’d have to say San Francisco! I grew up there in the 1970s, it was full if diversity, a true blessing.
I love SF even though it is prohibitively expensive. I will use some of my lottery winnings to buy a nice home there near the Golden Gate Bridge so I can sit and meditate on the Goodness of God and my extravagant blessings! Visualizing that right now! 🙂
Life is certainly and up and down journey. Having a feeling of being home is important to remain balanced.
I agree. We all need that sense of security and completion, and home gives us some of it.
You are the queen of discovery when it comes to noteworthy quotes 🙂
Hahahah! Thank you, Peter. Google is my friend.
No, I don’t believe there is life without struggle, at least at some point in our lives. Sometimes life seems peaceful and serene, but then there are times!!!
Life balances success and struggle, and we need both to stay appreciative. Yes, I agree with you; there is struggle and a measure of success.
No matter where I am, the only place I feel loved and accepted is with my family. We may be up in the mountains, in the neck of the woods, in a coastal village or in a high rise condo in the urban jungle. Physical location is not important. It is being together that is important.
That is ultimately true. I hear you
For me going to Australia for 3 weeks to visit my brother alone without the children was a turning point for me – I actually came home and left my husband it had been a long time coming and the marriage was over and made me miserable – maybe no more trips for me allowed
SWoe! That was swift indeed. I am reading this 10 years later and hope you are doing well and enjoying the best life you deserve. Bravo!
Love the photos you’re using here! Yes, I definitely agree with you. I also travel a lot, and now finally found my home here in Norway. 😉
Wonderful! I should visit someday. I love the Scandinavian region for so many things. Not the cold, though. Hahaha!
GOD is in our hearts and is also omnipresent. Finding your place matters; knowing yourself is imperative, too. “Look, you are already home.” What a great read. Thanks.
I concur. It starts within and with God. I am grateful for that too.
Beautifully written.
xoxo
Tyler
Thank you for your feedback.
What a motivational post. I can relate to you since I have also lived in two continents.
That is awesome. Traveling and living in different cultures is a blessing
What’s very interesting is how interconnected and international we are all becoming. I am a mix of backgrounds as well and speak 3 languages, and I feel a connection to each one in a different way. In the future, I wonder if we will all be citizens of the world, rather than separate nations.
That would be interesting to see. I would love to see that happen, but there is too much global conflict to agree to it. We have seen regions or continents align for a united travel document, and that’s great. Only time, and the quality of peace our global leaders agree to, will tell if we will ever see such a proposal.
Another great post! I’m far away from my birth place but everything I go back for visits, my heart is telling me that I am home.
Good, your heart never lies to you. Sometimes we don’t listen to the still small voice, which is detached from the base emotions… Home lies in our hearts.
What an amazing experience to grow up on three continents. Wow! As I was growing up, I didn’t realize I was different from my friends & neighbors whose parents were born and raised in America. Now that I’m older, I’m proud of my ethnic family and the customs we share.
Same here. WE all have things to be proud of.
This season has been very trying. I definitely need to let love in more!
Amen to that and sending you positive, healing vibes.
Wow, traveling to 3 continents until you got married is a blessing. I wish I am able to do that. and you got twins! How blessed you are! It motivates me to think of the place that I am belong to, or the place that I feel that I am home. I’ve been living independent ever since. anyway, thanks for sharing this post 🙂
Thank you, and I love both of your names. What a fantastic blessing to be given such names… We are all blessed in some way. Thank you for reminding me of that fact.
Beautiful haiku <3
I am always intrigued by people who live in multiple countries over their lifetime! You’ve got such a broad perspective. So different than the people in this small town I live in!
Thank you, Divya. I hope you were able to make peace with your space over the years…
Very cool that you have twins. These are some great quotes
Thank you, Tara. I thank God daily for my blessings…
There’s definitely seasons of growth and seasons of hibernation. This post hit home. Thank you for it
I’m glad it spoke to you. I am finally responding to comments from 10 years ago. Now, that is freaking amazing. The message still resonates with me.
This reminds me of the saying – or quote perhaps – wherever you go there you are. I am happy you had the experience of living in many places, and happy you have found a home. Home IS where the heart is.
Yes, it is my favorite quote from Jon Kabat-Zinn. “Wherever you go, there you are.” Yes, it all starts within.
Since I haven’t traveled much I wish I had more options to choose from, but the US is my place. Someday I hope to travel more and then maybe my place will change!
It doesn’t have to change, and people travel all over the world, but their heart and soul are drawn to one specific place. It really all starts within.
i have lots of friends who travels, and they always say that they always find their selves in a moment where they are in the right place at the right time. I’ve been away from home in the Philippines for about 10years now and I never miss it. i find myself & place discovering new things and loving it.
And so it is… I hear you. It takes reflection and a moment of pause to really get to the meat of it…
This is beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for checking in!
Life is always a struggle unfortunately. Finding your place in the world can be very important for your self esteem. Great post and love the quotes!
Yes, it is, and we are the richer for it.
This is an amazing post! Thank you for writing this 🙂
Thank you for cheering me on!
I spent a lot of years thinking that I needed to go somewhere else to be happy. At 50 I realize that happy is from within and not who, what, where…
True, and that is the essence of the search. To come to that realization.
I agree with finding your place and space can be a challenge sometimes. But when you do finally settle for a place it’s a wonderful feeling to call someplace home.
Yes, it is a blessing too to have a place we can call home.
Haiku are always so hard to write but these are so beautiful! Great writing as ever!
Thank you so much. I find it very hard, and I am still learning, because brilliant haiku shows, not tells. I’m learning.
I really enjoyed reading this. It is interesting how we often come full circle in life.
We do, and that has always interested me too.
I can so relate to this post as it feels almost looking into a mirror. Born in India, brought up in America and the Middle East and now in Germany for over 20 years … I do think I have finally found my place but there are times I still wonder …
“I’ve always believed that everything in life has a season. There are times of growth and times of hibernation, and the same applies to every form of life. If we push against that natural order of things, we create a disruption of the process that can lead us down a completely different pathway … and not always with the best intentions.”
This resonated so much with me.
Thank you, Meeta, and we are kindred spirits. A nomad in so many ways. I can relate to your story too.
Once you got a family, they will really be your home whenever or wherever you’ve been or will be. Lovely haiku.
Family matters for sure, but… it depends.
Is there a life without struggle?
I so agree with this. Nice words to ponder on.
Right? I’m glad you caught that. Brilliant!
Wonderfully written post and such a great prompt! Finding one’s place is an ongoing journey that is so worth it!
It is a great prompt that, if we stay honest, can help us delve deeper.
wow what a great read. your writing style is amazing
Thank you, Dawn; you are so kind. I love your writing too. The sentiments are mutual!
It’s interesting, I never think of travel as a way of finding myself. I always think of it as exploring other places and learning about how other people live. To me it is an escape from my every day.
And so it is… reflection comes later, perhaps.
Such a lovely post! Love your story and so glad that you found your home in America! I think home is where the heart is, my heart belongs to Rome, Italy even if now for some reason I force to live in another country! Hope one day I’ll be back!
Yes, some places resonate more than others. I wrote this post in 2016, 10 years ago… some of it still holds true, and some has changed.
I visited 10 countries so far and I can`t imagine life without travelling. The country that shape who I am is my home country: Romania. The country where I felt most of home was Wyoming and the place was Yellowstone national park♥
Fascinating, isn’t it? I love your observations.
From where you get such motivating quotes. I always save these quotes on a notepad file to sound cool in front of others.
Wow Akhil! We sure do go way back. I find them online by searching keywords, then curate them for my posts. I love quotes because they often capture a post’s essence.
I agree with the quote by Anonymous – “Our Home is where our heart is!” Living in 3 different continents has changed my perspective towards life. Everything is temporary and as a human being, we know very well how to adapt to any circumstances!
WE sure do. It makes us more accepting of others and of our own limitations.
I love that you have that rich travel history. It colors your posts as I am sure it colors your life as well.
It sure does and brings some baggage with it, too.
I love your haiku! Your post is inspiring me to think about my own place.
I’m glad to hear that… thank you
I love to travel and see new places. I have found however, that moving and settling into a whole new country can take a huge toll on a person. I found that learning a whole new language would take quite some time and patience.
Definitely, and I’ve done it more times than I can remember, and it takes a toll
Home is the place where we find our happiness indeed. We may not always have a nice house, but if we are happy in a certain place, no matter how humble, then that is surely our home.
Yes, and it is a state of mind too… a place, a feeling, and more…
Beautiful post! Home is where the heart is…As they say, after globe-trotting ultimately you will go back to your roots.
We all do in some way…
I travel a lot too but I always look back to going home. It’s my comfort zone and I guess every traveler should have one.
Yes, indeed. I know that experience well
Wow it’s amazing that you grew up among three continents! How cool is that! I have such a desire to travel too, and finding the place I feel the best!
And I hope you do. Travel is truly the best teacher.
I spent a long time searching for myself. Until you do find your place it just feels like you are going in circles.
Indeed. I get you. Reflection matters.
Grew up in 3 continents?? Wow… You are a very interesting person…
And so are you, dear one.
I guess that’s what life is – finding your place in this world day after day. It’s not easy, but it keeps us moving.
Not as easy as it seems. I agree…
As a constant traveler this point came at the right time and was nodding throughout. I also love this quote ““Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” Harriet Beecher Stowe”
I love that quote too. It spoke to me.
I have also travelled and lived in different areas of the world all my life due to my parents work! Made many friends but also didn’t know where to fit in.
I don’t regret it!
I don’t regret my life experiences either. I hear you.
I believe that we are all international citizens, with roots all over the world. I don’t think that there is a word to define me, a location or a nationality. I don’t believe in these as they set up boundaries between people.
As you wish, and yes, we are. But where is your passport, or your country of birth? As humans, we start there, and then we transcend it.
Home is such an important place but it’s not just a physical location, it’s so much more. Something that I’m struggling with right now. Thanks for sharing
Yes, it starts within our body and soul first. The physical home adds a layer.
We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give, this is so true! I really like reading your post, a good messages to start my day!
I’m glad it spoke to you.
I suppose it’s very true – there is no place like home and no matter where I travel too or visit and stay away from home it’s always comforting to be back home
All the time. I know the feeling
My sanctuary is my home in California. It has been where I was raised for my entire life and it’s the place despite the exciting travels and work opportunities elsewhere that feels like my place in the world.
Exactly. We, or most of us, have that special place we call home, and it starts within.
Could not agree with you more! Whenever I get antsy that my goals are too far from reach or that I’m taking “too long” to reach them, I stop and remind myself to trust the process, trust God that He will bless me with it in the right time, aka in the right season of my life.
Amen to that. I needed to read this today.
Agree there is a season for everything, and in every season we have experiences that teach us more about ourselves.
XO, MJ
That is true… and we can go along or fight, but it is better to go along
It’s funny because I travel a bit to other countries and it never fails to amaze me just out of place I feel. I never truly feel 100% safe or at home unless I’m in the US. Which is normal I suppose, but interesting to think about!
Exactly. Our body knows, even if our mind is confused or unsure. It’s a feeling in the bones too.
Such a great message. I think it can be hard to find your place. Its something we have to do over and over again too
For some, it is hard; for others, it is easy… all depends
Getting to know one`s self is truly important in living in this world. Without knowledge of our true identity, it will be difficult to really find our “place.”
That is true… I agree
great posts! very creative. we always long for something better or some place different. however, we can only be in this time and place. in the now. its important for us to understand that home is where we make it!
Yes, wherever/whenever we feel at home is home…
For some it takes an instant, and some longer than that. It doesn’t matter how you determine where your place is, as long as you find it. I’m glad you found yours, through time and experience
True… it is unique for each of us because we carry our personal and family history with us…
I couldn’t agree more! Finding your place in the world can take time, and sometimes the simplest words remind us to slow down and appreciate where we are.
Yes, indeed. The hope is that we are paying attention
“Open the door within” is such a beautiful reminder. I love how you connect your travels and family ties with finding a sense of home within yourself. There’s something comforting about knowing we can keep growing and exploring while still carrying that belonging with us.
Thank you, we all find ways to reconnect, and sometimes it takes a visual or a word.
I think we’re all like this to one degree or another. Mabye you have family and friends spread across a county, state, country, or even the world. In any case, the world is so much smaller than we think in that regard.
It does feel smaller in our minds, and the Internet has definitely contributed to that. We are just a click away, and we can find home faster than we did in the past…
I think we all straddle multiple worlds, whether it be family, friends, or geography. The world has a way of moving things around, including us.
Hahaha! I like that interpretation, and we sure do. All of us. Or most of us.
It sounds like you have had a lot of experiences in your life, traveling the world. You are a great writer, and I enjoyed your haiku poetry. I always struggled to make short poems.
Thank you! I still struggle in many ways, and as I get older, I am making a greater effort to find the good in situations that challenge me. For my own sanity, honestly. LOL!
It’s great to hear you have made so many connections, not just in your hometown. Like you, I have made connections with people who live in other countries, many of whom I have never met, yet we talk and interact regularly online, which is really lovely. Some are fairly new friendships, and others have been around for many years. Hopefully, all will be long-lasting for both of us x
Yes, our connections shape how we understand our place, our home, and our happiness. All are valid. I hear you.
These are such lovely quotes and poems.
Home is always where my kids are. We always have the best time together.
Thank you, and yes, home is our ultimate sanctuary…