I taste the magic in your smile,
like the whole universe
in a single drop.
You are awe.
-excerpt from There, I Might Find Peace

I looked at the stars last night and saw the making of me. The sky was my own reflection. I remembered that I am the very stars I wish upon, the very earth I walk upon, the very air I breathe. And for that moment, I knew that I am air. I am water. I am gold, silver, salt.

Before I was Leslie, I was out there. Not just in the cosmos, but of the cosmos. The universe itself. I was atoms spread throughout the galaxy, hidden away like treasure in ancient stars built from ancient stars.

I came from burning. From explosions. From the cosmic circle of rebirth, one star leaving its pieces behind for the next to put back together.

With the deepest gratitude, I thanked the call my atoms answered to emerge from the dust that built our planet, to ride on the back of a meteor, to hold on through the earthly circle of rebirth.

I closed my eyes and imagined what it would be like if I could remember it all. Like having a sudden vision of the birth of our sun as I light my children’s birthday candles or the rain shaping the mountains as I wash our dishes after dinner.

What would it be like to fully know and embrace your true nature?

Maybe I’ll remember being the forest that breathed for the earth one day. Or the wind that sang in the leaves.

Maybe I’ll find the words to tell the story of the stones, the clouds, the plants, animals, and people I was part of before I was me.

Or maybe I will just hold on to this starting now: When I remember where I began, I remember that there is gold in me. 

I will remember my moments of transformation. The explosions and burning that brought me to this point. The times when breathing was all I could do and the times when my breath was taken away. The times I sang like the wind. I will find the words for my own story of all the things I’ve been. 

If you long to find the gold in life, the treasures and the beauty, start your search on the inside.

Beside your heart, in your blood, there is gold in you made from the stars themselves. (Really, look it up!)

Make your heart a temple of gold, and let the stars be you. Now’s as good a time as any.

Look at yourself, talk to yourself, think of yourself as if you are the stars.

Live with both ears and eyes open.

Take consistent steps.

Always, always with sincerity.

In your moments of joy, shine. And in the moments of pain, the moments when you’re about to burst, when something’s gotta give, remember where you came from.@ralph_leslie (Click to Tweet!)

Remember your personal circle of rebirth. Remember the many mountains you’ve moved, the oceans you’ve crossed, and the pieces you picked up and put back together, perhaps stronger and more beautiful than before.

There would be no life without the supernova.

Wherever you are, be the gold. You are literally stardust (and don’t you forget it).

Leslie Ralph is a psychologist, writer, and artist who hopes to leave the world a little brighter than she found it.  Her people are creative, sensitive spirits who crave love and peace, inside and out. Leslie is the author of There, I Might Find Peace: Poetry and Prose, Mantras and Meditations for Peace, Love, and Strength. Download her free gift, a ritual for receiving, a daily ritual for bringing more love and light, clarity and confidence, meaning and connection to your life. You can follow Leslie on Facebook or Instagram.

Image courtesy of h heyerlein.