#MicroPoetry|April ’23 Reflections

I invite you to consider that you are a rich, rare, and beautiful flower. In fact, there is none like you yesterday, today, and tomorrow. As such, you are meant to be cherished and celebrated.

This spiritual truth, however, requires we act. We are meant to help those for whom such a message is not only rarely shared, but who actually experience a different story that defines them as foreign, weed-like, and toxic.

We are meant to sow a future in which a bouquet of blessings is abundant and in which we find ourselves for a brief and spectacular moment.

Painting outside of the lines is a choice worthy of a poet and an epic hero, for whom conventions are joyfully discarded in order to invite the gifts of the generative and the whimsical. Intrinsic to this choice is the awareness that each of us is entrusted with a gift to reveal the splendorous and the wonderful. What that means – how it looks, feels, smells, or sounds – is the task we are asked to help one another discern.

I appreciate the image of reaching forward and backward at the same time serving as a metaphor. It reminds us that in this moment, we are connected to both the past and present. Our choices resonate through this continuum, carrying with them both awe and responsibility.

In my experience, fully embracing this realization requires a commitment to constant learning, questioning our assumptions, and listening deeply to others. Such practice allows us to avoid surrounding ourselves with narratives that keep us stuck and instead, embrace those that are freeing, allowing us to see with new eyes at the dawn of each new day.

We make choices every day, some of which are appreciative and generative, while others can lead to challenges for ourselves and others. This range is not inherently good or bad; it simply illustrates the need to be constantly reflective and to take action when our choices have not unfolded well.

This is what it means to cultivate a practice of curiosity, committed to lifelong learning. This discipline allows us to constantly ask ourselves reflexive questions and, in turn, ensures that our own thoughts and practices remain vibrant, resilient, and adaptive.

We often find ourselves turning away from that which uplifts us. The noise of daily life, competing priorities, fatigue, and a troubled world can create an illusion that draws us away from the things, practices, and people that support us during difficult times and lift us up when we are ready to shine. This work is not easy to do alone, but when we embrace community, the task of returning to what is life-giving and soul-inspiring becomes lighter.

As you begin this day, what is one small step you can take to turn toward the Sun?

I am looking at the trinkets and mementos that adorn my shelves. You know, those things we accumulate or receive based on our preferences, hobbies, and interests. Each item evokes a memory of the giver, which often leads to a story being recalled.

As I contemplate this, I realize that each of these objects embodies a memory. Each memory represents an experience. And each experience, ultimately, holds the promise of learning. What we do with these gifts has implications for how we approach the future, which we are called to cultivate with care and compassion.

Peace is a word that is contextual, subjective, and often controversial. We attach so many meanings to it that it can seem simplistic or trite to invite others into a conversation about its meaning, especially in the midst of the turmoil we find ourselves in. However, I believe we can reframe this tension by recognizing that peace is not a thing but a way of being in the world. By doing inner work, we begin to manifest this being in the world. Thus, it is in our actions that we begin to shape a shared understanding of what it means to embody peace in the world.

What do you believe our shared aspirations are as a global community, beyond individual desires?

How do we measure our collective hopes and aspirations?

It’s reasonable to assume that peace, prosperity, love, and safety are among the shared hopes of our community.

When we contemplate our interconnectedness in this manner, what visions emerge, and how can we begin to create a reality that aligns with them?