We participate in the creation of the world by decreating ourselves.
-Anne Carson
Last night, during the Full Moon, I stood in the warm wind and watched purple flowers fall from a nearby tree. The breeze rustled through palm leaves and brought in the faint smell of jasmine.
I love these moments of being completely alone with nature, aware and appreciative of the life surrounds us.
Sometimes, it’s a relief to know that not everything is about me. There is more to the world than human life. Our search for meaning blinds us at times to the simple passion of plants pushing their way through the soil, or the moon showing her full face, or bees building a hive inside a hollow tree.
These moments carry wisdom. They remind me that “I” or “me” has nothing to do with most of my happiness, and very little to do with my successes. Appreciating the world gives me a break from planning, thinking, or doing.
If I was perfectly sure I wouldn’t scare the neighbors, I would have stood on the sidewalk for a very long time, looking up towards the moonlight, hugged by the soft night air.
The less I think about me, the more I know myself. I can focus entirely on people that draw me in magnetically, on plants and trees that catch my eye, and I can be present to what’s funny, laughing as often as possible even if it means causing a bit of trouble.
Sometimes I like to witness myself as if I’m watching a character in a book. Do you ever do this? It helps to use a personality type system, such as one of my favorites, Meyer’s Briggs. My own type, ENFJ, is a natural coach or teacher. “What will she do next??” I wonder, entertained by the me that walks around in such a beautiful world, totally imperfect and unbothered.
I hope you will consider trying this. Learn about yourself to forget yourself. Then, drink in life’s joy, even when it doesn’t care about you and goes on about its own business. Think of yourself as simple and knowable, no more complicated than a hummingbird, then watch what happens. You will become a powerful creator.
