In the Western Hemisphere, Winter is upon us. The leaves are falling and for many snow will be right behind, if not already here. Though change is constant, it seems more apparent during the Fall and in the stillness of Winter, with its potential for something to arise, that surely does with the onset of another spring. Why is it that we lose our ability to sense this seemingly obvious cyclical change that happens year in and year out, as our lives unfold between birth and death? Maybe we are too busy with what seems to be important in the very next moment to sense the deeper cycles of change that make all things possible? Nothing lasts – including our grief over that which by its very nature is fleeting, and thus no more. Our confusion creates the potential for a distorted reality, which in turn, breeds anxiety that causes stress, finally giving rise to distractions to cope, bringing us full circle to confusion. This dysfunctional, micro-cycle of being, if you will, is set within the greater cycles – the seasons of existence for which all possibility is contained. The purpose in life is to better align the micro-cycles with grander cycles of change within the universe; thus, finding and nurturing meaning while one can, bringing peace to self and others, but how?
We must stop everything we are doing, at least once a day, to see the miracle of change: smell the roses or coffee for us coffee addicts out there. To know that within change, there is perfect freedom. Freedom to make mistakes. Freedom to learn. Freedom to choose. Freedom to be part of the interdependent nature of the universe. To know that nothing lasts, allows us to see, at first reluctantly, but with practice, more confidently; we are no different than anyone else in the world. We are all striving and struggling to understand the point of it all. Who are we? What should we do with this precious gift called life? Why do things happen, or not happen? The more we let go of the illusion of control, the more alive we become; the more we live our lives with a purpose that is imbued with the fundamental truth – all are subject to change, that no one rules the universe. Sure, we can all be King of somewhere, over someone, for some fixed period of time, but in the end we are all overthrown by the relentless decay of time. It is only in our pride that we feel that nothing changes, duping us into believing that we are in charge of our fate and that what we seem to have today will last for an eternity. We become blinded by our fixation on self and the countless things that adorn our being, grasping onto what we have, believing that it can last, knowing deep down inside – it can not. The tragic outcome for many of us – a tragedy we are all to willing to project onto the next generation, whether they be our own children or not – is that by not slowing down to see the more universal meaning – and our role within that primordial construct to which we all belong – is to miss the possibility of truly living our lives with both meaning and purpose.
Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Seize the day; stop what you are doing right now. Recalibrate to the rhythms of the seasons of change. Go out and dance in the rain, splash in a puddle, and even catch a raindrop in your mouth (or for those in colder climates, a snowflake). Focus on interconnectivity and your part within the web of life and watch the stress of your ephemeral, anxiety filled day-to-day existence fall away, like snow melting into the runoff of spring, allowing a new moment to arise, free of the past that is no more, and pregnant with the possibility for anything to happen. Fully cognizant of the ultimate freedom of the ever-changing moment, you will live a purposefully life ,and die, like we all must, in a state of peace. Finally, upon our passing, we will be remembered for being the one who truly lived; in the end, making us immortal.
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Art Baird is the founding Partner of Creative Marbles Consultancy and life long learner. Beyond his musings, he is available for consulting to clients-public and private-who wish to explore possibilities that seem repressed by current circumstances they are unable to understand. He can be reached a number of ways, all outlined under the contact us tab within this blog.
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Earth Goddess image h/t to: www.josephinewall.co.uk
