Week 3: Always Part of Something Larger

"Our light shines the brightest when we are working on something bigger than ourselves."

We are linked in our humanity the way the earth holds a tree, so that tree can hold a nest, so that nest can hold a bird, so that bird can drop a seed that will in time give birth to the next tree.

• Week 3: Always Part of Something Larger
• The Book of the soul - 52 paths to living what matters by Mark Nepo

“It’s no secret that slowness remembers, and hurry forgets; that softness remembers, and hardness forgets; that surrender remembers, and fear forgets.” ~ Mark Nepo

To find a new way of living, I need to notice the ways I view the world. Within each circumstance I face, there is a lesson to learn, and sometimes it is helpful to remember what a small part we play in something bigger. Uncovering value in these lessons teaches us the blessing of time, and will this matter 5 days from now, 5 years from now? 

Every day contains devastation, frustration, even humiliation somewhere, but it also embraces wonder, contentment, and joy. Some days I must make a conscious choice to see the softer world, even amid the chaos, moving from the commotion to a place of quiet. There are so many blessings to behold, sometimes all we need to do is look up.

With a mindfulness toolbox we can soften our view. Sometimes our meditation practice can bring our awareness to the present. Or to notice the expansive night sky, the tiny stars that have a way of reminding us  just how small we are.