Like the pedals of a flower opening to the world around it, we create a
presence of awareness. In full bloom, the beauty or the lack thereof
touches the lives of everyone around us. As our inner patterns of
attention move through us, the world illuminates the seeds of awareness
contained within us for so long. Here, a life is created. It is the
life of our soul.
At the dawn of spring, I am reminded by my children the joy of anticipating new life.
They will usually see a flower or two that has made its way through the
soil to a world beyond itself. What starts out as a seedling or bulb is
transformed by nature's capacity to evolve.
Inside each of us lies dormant an awareness, an identity, an ability to
grow beyond what we appear to be. Every moment, we are being challenged
by others and by circumstances to create a life that exceeds our
present state of living.
To move toward our highest good takes a willingness on our part to let
go of what we know to what can be known in and through us. You and I
are part of the Created Order we see around us, and we are participants
in Creating Order out of what we have been given to care for.
With this in mind, let us turn to ways our soul can be described in the characteristics that make up a flower:
1. The Ground.
The ground nurtures, protects, and gives birth to a flower. Inside the
womb of the ground, life is taking root long before we can see it.
Because we cannot see a flower that has been planted in the earth, does
not mean life is not being created. To be full participants in our
world means to be fully connected and rooted in the world we have been
given.
2. The Stem.
The stem begins its growth in the earth below and into the sky above.
This part of the flower is the connecting characteristic of the plant.
Much like humanity, we are in this world without being fully of it.
This creates a sacredness to our lives. It is our unique ability to
live and grow in a way no one ever has, is, or ever will.
3. The Flower.
In full bloom, a flower is the illumination of all the life that has
preceded it. The radiance and color that pour out of it create life.
Notice the next time you look at a flower how you are affected by it.
You may notice your heart open and be filled with joy. Or, you may
notice more energy and clarity in your vision for being blessed with
great beauty.
4. The Spirit of a Flower.
The spirit of a flower is the life force moving in and through it. It
is the essence of a flower that identifies with your spirit. This part
of you opens from the inside out and becomes ONE with the spirit of a
flower. It is the same energy that runs in and through you. Like a
flower, you begin to radiate your own soul from the essence of your own
being.
Each spring, take the time to notice the part of you opening up to new
life. Just like flowers, we grow from the inside out. What illuminates
in our life began inside us. We nurture these inner qualities of
attention until they eventually take root and grow into our daily
lives. The growth that follows is created from what we attend to or
hold our attention on within us.
Like the pedals of a flower opening to the world around it, we create a
presence of awareness. In full bloom, the beauty or the lack thereof
touches the lives of everyone around us. As our inner patterns of
attention move through us, the world illuminates the seeds of awareness
contained within us for so long. Here, a life is created. It is the
life of our soul.
Samuel Oliver, author of, "What the Dying Teach Us: Lessons on Living"
For more on this author; http://www.soulandspirit.org
