It is only through the heart that we can truly see that which surrounds us. And there is just so much good. The heart houses the philosophy of the Gorean Master and it holds the true beauty of the slave. Without the passion of the heart could Gor even exist? Can life exist without the heart and its capacity to love? If it could, would it be worth living?

belle believes that destiny has an outline of what each of us will learn within our lifetime. Some paths are so difficult. It is the heart which will bear the painful scars of these experiences. Other times, the path is seemingly effortless. Either way, these will be the tools we use as we continue our life quest. Hopefully, these experiences will add new depth and dimension to our character and not a heart rending ache which keeps us awake in the darkness of night.

We, ourselves, are tools which destiny uses to impart knowledge to others. Some of us may actually know what our primary purpose to exist may be, while others are blindly guided by the hand of fate. But no matter for good or ill, each of us have a choice as to how we will impact those we come in contact with. It is for us to decide if the experience will be a positive or a negative one.

For well over a year, through the generosity of Master Pantheus, belle has been allowed to share her thoughts and passions. There are those who may have viewed her beliefs as ivory tower like (yessss, she heard the rumors (adjusting her rose colored glasses)), while others may have found some worth in her perceptions. Whether misplaced or not, each word originated from her heart .

Four years ago, a shroud of darkness surrounded her .. not one of her own making, but one that she was fated to experience. she had wandered somewhat aimlessly for quite some time, blinded by pain and the loss of what once was. And destiny brought her here to Gor.

At the time, she thought she had been stripped of everything .. and came here as an empty vessel. But in reality, she was armed with her life experiences and a burning capacity to love. It is this never ending need to share this emotion with others which causes her to conclude that it is her purpose. her greatest hope is that her presence has caused joy and perhaps, on occasion, may have inspired hope within those she has cared much for. There have been so many wonderful people who have touched her heart.

Each person that has allowed belle to love them has returned to her ten-fold what she has given. Their joy became hers. And each dream that became realized and was pursued, brought light into this girls life.

This is part of her slavery and is not limited to the service of Man. It is the inherent need to serve those who may have a need, no matter who they may be. Perhaps this is a common trait in females who journey on the path of submission, she does not know.

Once on Gor she was confused to see so many rules. So many thoughts on how a person had to be in order to be called this or that. belle has come full circle regarding this. she believes that each of us are unique individuals who possess traits which determine the respective paths that we travel. We are not alike, whether it be Masters or slaves. Nor is there some blueprint on how we must be in order to follow a path. And to try to be something other than who we are is the greatest injustice we can ever do to ourselves. We either are or aren’t.

This one knows there will always be slaves who will be prettier, more intelligent, more submissive, etc... but in the same breath, they will never be this girl. A slave may go to a Man with no worldly possessions .. but she does possess a treasure trove within her heart, mind and spirit that can never be given away or taken .. they can only shared. It is the unique beauty found within each female .. it is breathtaking and wonderful. she hopes that each of us embrace what is within us and find contentment.

Some important lessons she has learned on her journey is that there is always more than one truth. There is more than one right way and for every rule there is an exception .. most likely several of them. Very little in our lives is black and white and perception influences everything.

Like most slaves, she doesn't see her strengths as much as her weaknesses .. which seem to glare at her on a constant basis. And it has been these flaws that she has worked hard on.

Those Masters who have taken an interest in her or those who have chosen to call her friend or sister have lent her strength and support on more occasions than she can count. During her years on Gor she has been offered many safe havens, when the storm of life overwhelmed her. There is so much more to this place we call Gor than Master and slave, it is about life and living.

One of the hardest lessons for belle has been to learn to just 'be', as her Owner puts it. Instead of finding contentment in who and what she is and has accomplished, she continually introspects to find more areas that she perceives needing improvement and trying so very hard to be worthy to be her Masters property. Totally forgetting that he would indicate to her if he wished that she change. That it is her Masters expectations, not her own or anyone else's that are important.

Do slaves think too much? [smiles] Do we spend so much time thinking, that we forget to live? Do we forget to revel in the gift of life? Are we so concerned meeting our own expectations and what we perceive the general consensus that we forget to be happy? If a person is not happy where they are... then they should consider altering their path. The path of slavery is hard, but it is filled with joy and fulfillment...not riddled with continual pain and misery.

she has made many mistakes while on Gor. she uses the word mistakes, because they were not intentional. There is so much wisdom in Master Bear's words when he speaks of mistakes vs failures. she has never knowingly chosen to do something that was wrong.

This has been another hard lesson for her, one that she continues to struggle with. Instead of looking outward for her Owner to determine failure, she condemns herself when a situation occurs .. even if she has little or no control over it.

Slaves are so very hard upon themselves. We will never be perfect. In fact, we may never even be great. What is important is that we are the best that we can be and that the motivation behind each of our actions is pure. That will always shine through.

For this slave, her greatest joy is being allowed to serve her Master. When her Master first collared this girl, he instructed her to place in her /whois: Bound by more than chains, knowing that she is bound to him by the love and devotion which overflows from her slave heart .. which is much stronger than any chain can ever be.

If she were allowed to offer advice, it would be this .. to let your heart fill with the joy of serving and to live and cherish each moment as if it were to be your last.

Lastly, as we continue to evolve, she believes new voices are destined to be heard .. new hearts which will share different perspectives of this life which we have embraced. And guided once again by the hand of fate and led by her Owner, this one begins a new leg of her life long journey... which entails a lot less typing and much more living. This is a good thing.

belle hopes very much that those fated for this journey will embrace the light within their hearts .. for it will guide you on this beautiful path that we call slavery.

Property of Ares^
belle{A^}
Bound by more than chains