I’ve been reflecting on myself today, as reflected by a myriad of others who provide me with some context.

Inhale…

I’ve been blessed, although I am sure in a way most would not consider a “blessing.”

Yet, I have been as I see it, in the most beautifully painful and complete way possible. There are no blessings and curses in my life, only blessings, and I accept them completely.

There is a tremendous amount of love in the depths I’ve been driven to explore. Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve sought out meaning to each experience, often reliving the “negative” experience over and over again until, finally, the meaning was discovered. Often I’d use “positive” experiences as a contrast in order to discover things I would have never seen otherwise.

Ironically, many things I once thought of as “positive” are no longer so, and those I considered “negative” have changed to wonderful positives.

The mind-world connection is amazing; once you change your mind your world changes, and as your world changes so does your mind.

It’s why I don’t consider love in the way most do. I don’t see it as a positive or a negative, but rather the canvas by which both are painted. It doesn’t change, only our minds do. Instead, it remains constant and accepting of that wonderful vehicle of mind/ego. Love and ego work together to expose the truth…a constant that only changes when we do. Love is truly like water…it takes any form you place it in.

Enjoy the metamorphosis, and the evolution. You will see others who are beginning to become aware of this journey, and you will smile as they protest, as they shout out all of their good intentions. You will take joy, and some pain, in the distortions they try to hold onto, and you will always offer a helping hand, in your own unique way. And you will recognize those hands offered to you, even if they weren’t fully aware they were extended.

Acceptance is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to acceptance. Tolerance is not the key to peace, peace is the key to tolerance. Gratefulness is not the key to love, love is the key to gratefulness.

And maybe, just maybe, the Bodhi tree was not the path to enlightenment, enlightenment was the path to the Bodhi tree. Perhaps the cross was not the path to salvation, but salvation the path to the cross. Perhaps you were not the means to love, but love was the means to you.

…exhale.

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Editor: Renée Picard

Photo: Pietro Motta at Flickr