MOVE

Before dawn most days, I rise, walk to the kitchen, turn on the coffee pot and climb the stairs to the “She Shed,” my dedicated space for all things me in our home.  I walk to a candle located on a wicker table, strike a match, light the candle  and a sage bundle. One is a visual reminder to seek enlightenment for the day and the other wipes the cobweb of sleep from my brain. Then and only then do I sit. As the sun rises and its light merges with the light from the lamp located to my right, I become unable to distinguish the three sources of light from each other from my comfortable seated position. Being the safety conscious  and curious person that I am, inevitably I have an urge to check on the candle or to look at the sun climbing into the sky. My urge remains an unsatisfied thought until I expend energy to move it forward… urge (desire) plus energy yields action. So, I stand, walk three or four steps to the table where the candle burns or to the window to look at the sun. Never has the candle not been burning but I don’t know that until I change my position.

My inability and need to see the candle’s flame is a wake-up call to leave the place of comfort. There is nothing earth shattering about the moment but something in me is prompted to move. WAKE-UP! is a demand made repeatedly of me (us) especially at the intersection of current and next. The urge for clarity becomes an overwhelming thirst. The thirst is quenched  by expending energy seeking enlightenment which ultimately results in a specific action.

Does any of this journey happen instantaneously or even as quickly as my walking  three or four steps to look into the vessel housing the candle’s flame? I wish it did. Most often it is similar to the movement of the very large snail my husband and I spotted in the middle of the walkway one night while on vacation. We watched it, took a picture, and watched it some more. It never moved. When we returned to the spot the following morning, the snail had departed. I would like to think that the snail woke up, realized that it was in a precarious position and had an urge to reposition – to relocate, causing the surge of energy necessary to move.

Rumi says, “You can only understand real action through action…” I agree. When I am at the crossroads of current and next- necessitating repositioning, three simple directives have proven to be helpful. Wake-up to the need for a change of position. Fly, first in thought and then into action, follow with a Pose of Power based upon the assurance that  “due diligence” has happened and the right path has been revealed. Success is guaranteed. Repeat as often as necessary.

PONDER THIS THOUGHT— Author(s) unknown, “Don’t just do something, sit there.”  “Don’t just sit there, do something.”