Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the world belongs to you.
~Lao Tzu
At what point in your life did you begin to realize that the above quote was true? Were you a youngster, a teenager, a young adult, a senior citizen? Maybe, like many of us, you don’t remember exactly when this insight came to you. Or maybe it materialized gradually over the years … like the dawn, instead of like fireworks on the 4th of July or to celebrate a new year.
But even once we “get it,” we forget, don’t we? We think our life needs fireworks to be meaningful or real. We turn to external events and “things” to enhance what is already perfect.
I noticed this over the holiday season — how gifts can almost detract from the moment. How they add “weight” to a celebration of life that needs nothing more. So we’re trying to make charitable donations as gifts, but our transition is gradual for some reason. Expectations of others, perhaps, or maybe we’re still not quite convinced that “nothing is lacking.”
Maybe we don’t trust the moment to be enough … just yet. But we are inching closer each year. Still enjoying the season, but looking for more creative ways to honor life … to let people know we’re thinking of them.
It doesn’t have to be any more complicated than that, really.
It’s funny how we cling to the past during Christmas via traditions, memories, and so on, and then a week later, vow to begin anew with resolutions and such as the calendar points to a new year. Back and forth we go, or maybe simply running in circles.
But the lovely evergreen stays green all year round. We have 7 of them in our backyard, in fact. So as I gazed at them this morning, I thought about their quiet beauty — their consistent appearance — and wondered what wisdom I could glean from them for SunnyRoomStudio.
Just this … be content.
Today and in 2012.
Thanks so much for stopping by this sunny space dedicated to creativity, inspiration, reflection, and connection with kindred spirits. I look forward to welcoming you back next year!
Blog posts by DazyDayWriter @ work in SunnyRoomStudio: all rights reserved.
