Category: Meditations

If you live in a part of the world that turns monochrome at this time of the year, it becomes a spiritual discipline to look for spots of color and brightness, to find the places where life shines in the grey.

Where do you find spots of brightness?

“Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality.”
—Jonas Salk

What dream brings you hope?

The Transcendentalist writer Margaret Fuller is said to have exclaimed “I accept the universe!” To which Thomas Carlyle responded, “Gad, she’d better!” It turns out that the universe pretty much does what it will, whether we accept it or not. But it helps when we can gladly welcome the universe in.

When have you improved your life simply by accepting what the universe brought you?

It is simply a fact that if you climb to the top of a ridge, you will see the sun come up sooner than if you wait in the valley. But, of course, you will have to do your climbing in the dark.

When have you dared to head into the dark in order to make your way toward the light?

For any large endeavor, whether it be building a road or cleaning a garage, things tend to look worse in the middle of the project than they did before you started. Chaos is a natural part of the process of change and growth.

Where do you find hope in chaos?