Hear Me Universe #65. Is Broad-minded

In Thomas Hardy’s 1891 novel “Tess of the d’Urbervilles,” Hardy uses a character’s encounter with the “large-minded stranger” to demonstrate the relativity of all beliefs and value systems. The stranger was well-traveled, having experienced many different cultures, which developed his, “cosmopolitan mind.” The core of Hardy’s message is that all people should be judged not by their deeds alone but also by their will and intentions.It was this character that I thought of when I wrote #65, because I wanted to attract a broad-minded partner, one who had seen the world from the vantage point of other cultural norms and who had developed a world-view that celebrated differences, valuing other beliefs beyond his own.Everyone just wants validation, love, security, enjoyment and hopes for a better future. It was important to be to spend my life with someone who can relate to everyone in the world by looking past the superficial things that separate us.

Hear Me Universe #64. Is Not Self-absorbed

This is one of only two items on my love list written to declare what I did NOT want. I wrote this requirement to attract a match to my generosity and my giving nature. To be aware of something greater than myself, I must see me as part of a whole, connected to a bigger concept than just my own world. Self-absorbed people don’t see the big picture, are extremely opinionated, and impose on others selfishly.I believe that we are all part of a vast universe, all connected to each other through a great power, and I wanted to call in a match to my beliefs—someone with a real sense of empathy and who sees through the illusion of separation.

Hear Me Universe #63. Wants to Drive Cross Country

Travel is a theme in my love list and a travel companion was a desire of mine when I wrote my list. Travel compatibility was an absolute requirement because to drive from the Midwest to the West Coast—across this beautiful country—is on my bucket list. It’s just over 2,100 miles from here to Los Angeles, 31 hours of driving. I prefer taking it is segments—7 hour days—with stops both planned an spontaneous.I manifested a match to this desire in my husband, and he’s a perfect traveling partner. On long trips, we have a cadence of switching drivers every 100 miles, about every hour and a half. It’s a perfect combination of driving and resting. It’s easy. And, easy is the energy I desire in travel and in life.

Hear Me Universe #62: Likes to Hike

I love that there are things on my love list that represent dreams and desires I still hold for MYSELF, like this one. While my husband and I have taken many walks in the woods and in other natural surroundings, we’ve not taken a hike, with a pack for a distance overnight in the mountains—and it’s still a dream of mine.My love list served as a creative, manifestation tool to call in my soul mate, and it is also a written vision of who I want to be and what I want to experience in this life. For me to attract a match to my list, I, too, am inspired to show up, everyday, in the fullness of me, to be the other half of the partnership.Several items on my list relate to travel and exploration and adventure, and hiking is another in that theme. I’ve always loved the mountains and have always felt the spirit of explorers and pioneers any time I’ve walked trails to waterfalls or stood at the Continental Divide. The vastness and beauty of this Earth fills me with wonder and joy, and I can’t wait to plan a hiking adventure.

Hear Me Universe #61. Likes Cities

Really, there’s nothing like the aliveness of a city. Any time, day or night, life is happening. I love the vibrancy, the diversity, the noise, the choices that cities offer. No city ever started with the vision of what it was to become; it could not be known. No amount of planning or subdividing could have anticipated the Los Angeles or New York or Paris or Rome of today. Cities, at some point, grow with controlled spontaneity and what they become is grander, more spectacular and more surprising than imagined.I wrote “likes cities” on my list, because I wanted to attract a partner who got excited about being in a city. My husband, Craig, and I love simply walking along busy sidewalks together, dipping into cafes or shops that look intriguing, resting at a park, and feeling like a local resident. When my daughter was interning in Manhattan during law school, we cut her a deal: sublet a 2 bedroom apartment and we’d pay for the added cost—in exchange for a key. We spent a summer of weekends doing nothing a tourist would do in New York, walking miles through the borough that never sleeps.Do you have a favorite city?

Hear Me Universe #60. Loves Sports

Not fanatical, but a healthy enjoyment for sports, as a spectator and participant.Yes, has a love for great athletes and enjoys watching a match or quarter or playoff or tee shot. Yes, likes to play sports and is willing to try something new for fun.Sport has been a part of the human experience since recorded history and while it’s entertaining and enjoyable to watch, I value it for its display of human desire and will. To be a competitive athlete is to be dedicated, to push past fears, to work harder than you likely knew you could, to achieve personal and team triumphs, and to bounce back from difficultly and loss. While I’ve not been a competitive athlete, I have pushed myself physically to achieve beyond what I thought was possible, having ran two marathons before. There was a joy to me of setting the goal of running a marathon distance—so much longer than I’d ever run before—and systematically training so that the distance was achievable.How can you challenge yourself physically, finding new parts of you that you didn't know existed?