ROCKPORT—Author Michael Paul Lund spent many years seeking the answer to the age-old question, "Who am I?" After studying and listening intently to others, he found his path and stopped being a lonely seeker.

His insights will be shared with an audience at the Rockport Public Library January 15 as he reads from his essays, prose, short stories, and published books over the last 20 years. According to the library's event, his "presentation will focus on the beauty of nature and animals; finding peace in spiritual living; and the power of silence."

If the start of the new year with the violence in the U.S. that ushered it in, along with the devastation of California wildfires, has added to a sense of dread for many, this is one author talk that could soothe the spirit.

Born in England, Lund moved to the U.S. with his parents as a young boy. As an adult, he spent a number of summers renting a cottage near Castine — feeling such a connection to Maine that he moved here permanently to the Midcoast in 2006.

"After being a contemplative soul for more than 45 years, I have embraced the philosophy that 'All of life is an inside job.'  That is, we live from the inside out, not the outside in," he said.

"Being a seeker can be a very lonely journey," he elaborated. "Because if you're seeking something you think you don't have. And for many years, nobody really had an answer for me."

He credited a wise friend and mentor who gave him the wake-up call he needed. The older man, a Hollywood movie star from the 1930s who acted alongside Katherine Hepburn and John Barrymore, left Hollywood at the height of his career to pursue a more spiritual life.

As Lund admitted in one of his essays, he was preoccupied and frustrated with attaining spirituality, working very hard at it, when his mentor told him to stop echoing philosophy from books and surrender to the process. The man told him, "Dear friend, you are 'already' the very thing you seek."

"What was unclear before suddenly became clear," said Lund. At once, without trying so hard to attain it, the answers were right in front of him.

Regarding the turmoil many people feel throughout their inner lives when responding to the external stimuli of their environment, the news, politics, relationships, and the actions of humanity, Lund said, "It's very difficult to heal an agitated mind with that same agitated thinking."

For him, focusing on the beauty of nature and animals, finding peace in spiritual living, and using the power of silence are the avenues to quiet the agitated mind.

"I think most people want peace in their lives," he said. "They don't want to be roped into involuntary arguments or stress, and it takes turning away from the external and turning inward, which takes a conscious effort not to let your ego be your answer. Think of your mind as a house on a busy road, and going by, you see all kinds of traffic, say a noisy truck or a flashy sports car. These are your thoughts. Don't allow your attention to latch onto any of them because they are just thoughts passing by."

Having never been formally trained as a writer, he hesitated to put himself out there as an author until another friend hit him with another wake-up call in the form of three words, "Just do it."

Maybe that was the motivational tagline for Nike, but it was also the kind of "cut to the chase" advice he'd come to respect—direct and concise. So, he just did it.

Since then, Lund has published seven books, six in English and one in Japanese/English.

Having once been the seeker and now in a position to share with others what he has learned in his lifelong journey, Lund said, "People often get frustrated if they don't understand the concepts in 15 minutes. But you have to allow yourself a gradual awakening. If it takes a while—it took me a very long time—it's okay. It's all part of the process.'

Quiet Thoughts Read Aloud at the Rockport Public Library will take place January 15 at 1 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Cozy refreshments and snacks will be provided.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com