Perhaps just like with so much else in our lives, these days are calling for us to release ourselves from engrained beliefs, resist holding onto outdated information, and let go of old ways of doing things. These days are providing an ideal space for new and beautiful growth, the kind that emerges from sloughing off the decay.
In the midst of the storm, I feel small and helpless. There is fear that the storm will overcome me.
I know of the danger in advance, but I ignore the warnings to back away. Instead, I hunker down. That is when the floods start, conflict swirls in all directions and visibility is reduced to nothing.
My heart pounds. I struggle to catch my breath, to make logical choices, and to know how to care for me and those around me.
And then I remember back to the time when as the hurricane developed I watched it from above. I saw it’s wild bands expanding, its dark center churning. From above I could see its boundaries. From above I noticed clusters of calm, bright sky swirling in the darkness.
In every storm since, I have acknowledged that I have a choice to turn away and even when I neglect that choice, I can find calm within the bands of chaos if I can just remember flying above it.
Thoughts floating by like clouds in the sky.
Watching…smiling…simply noticing.
Sitting in stillness…waves come crashing in…loud, powerful, ferocious. Yet, in the stillness, I know only their beauty, their strength, and their humble gifts of positive change.
Due to age and changing topography, the London subway trains (also known as the Tube) often arrive at their platform stations with a noticeable gap between the floor of the train and the platform edge. With its arrival at each station, the train announces to passengers to Mind the Gap as they depart the train.
On the path of life, as in the London subway system, rarely is the pavement straight or level. Often there are small, subtle changes in the alignment of the floor with the platform that might cause you to stumble, but with a little awareness and an adjustment to your step, you are on your way. At other times, the step up or step down requires a lot more attention. The gap is wider, requiring more strength, increased agility, and greater care as you navigate the divide…a tumble here could really set you back.
Fortunately, a recorded voice reminds passengers on the Tube to be aware. The voice is loud and distinct and hard to ignore. In life, that voice is more subtle and comes from within – but it’s there! Tuning in, increasing your awareness, and allowing that voice to guide you may be the difference between a serious tumble and smooth stepping.
Whether the path requires that you step up or your best move is to step down, whether the gap is huge or just a small crack, your approach to what lies ahead makes all the difference in whether you reach your destination successfully.
So, stay flexible, be aware, step up, or back down, know that the divides and uneven pavement along the way are just part of the topography…and you’ll be just fine, as long as you mind the gap.
Safe travels!
Monday Mindfulness 