Table of Contents
“Even after all this time
― Hafiz
The Sun never says to the Earth,
“You owe me.”
Look what happens with a love like that,
It lights the whole sky.”
“This is a wonderful day, I have never seen this one before.”
― Maya Angelou
The Passion of Today
Passion is an elusive soulmate. It is there, but to what end will s(he) stay? You see, passion likes to play peek-a-boo with us, but in the end, the journey to find passion’s loving embrace creates the beauty of life we are afforded.
Years of experience have shown me that psychology and therapy rely heavily on perspectives. You see, we all carry with us a past. The unfortunate part is that so many people are engaged in the blame game of past events that they fail to see the flowers in the meadow under their noses. Can we find passion when blind to what exists below our feet? Emerson would be appalled, I don’t believe he would be surprised.
The past carries debris from a time that is no longer happening. This robs us of our passion. It is done; just let it be. But for many, this negates the sense of vindication one would feel if one had to have an apology for some past transgression, a simple sorry that may or may not ever happen. This need can be a crazy-making process because it places the locus of control solely on others and not within.
Some psychological theories focus on past events to create a sense of distance and desensitization to the immediate emotions felt when looking into that past baggage that can weigh one down. By sifting through the ashes of that past baggage, the goal is to find peace within so that one can re-engage with a sense of immediacy in the present moment. When one assumes this perspective, they can shift their focus to future orientation and chart a course towards a brighter future. This perspective exists in unison with, not separate from, the past transgression that brought the person to the present moment in the first place.
In today’s citation, Hafiz reminds us of the beautiful radiance in the Sun’s warming embrace of Mother Earth. When I first heard this poem, it made me ponder the nature of God itself, who I believe reminds us to be embraced with that same loving radiance the Sun kisses the heart of the Earth with as it engages in its waltz of orbital significance. There is a sense of awe here as the loving Sun and Earth embrace to allow the miracle of creation itself to manifest.
There is also wonder present, as Ms. Angelou states, in embracing this perspective, for during this one day, have we ever seen it or experienced it before? Of course not. From this perspective, the only thing we bring to the table is our ability to murky the waters of the present moment with the ashes of the past. Why would we ever want to pollute the soul’s content, that beautiful place made from the ashes of the past, where even one tiny ember can ignite a passionate calling for a dream yet to be realized?
May blessings find you, my friends, as you envision, chart a course, and advance confidently in the direction of your dreams.
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