When a man is born, he is tender and weak; at death he is hard and stiff. When things and plants are alive, they are soft and supple; when they are dead they are brittle and dry. Therefore hardness and stiffness are the companions of death, and softness and gentleness the companions of life. When an army is headstrong, it will lose in battle. When a tree is hard, it will be cut down. The big and strong belong underneath. The gentle and weak belong at the top.” – Lao Tzu
By Jafree Ozwald.
I’d like to invite you to explore an enlightening little experience today. I want you to feel, imagine and believe that for the next few minutes, you have magically transformed into a wildflower. You are a newly sprouting perennial blossom surrounded by a large open field, in a safe clean green environment, living deep in the protective mountains. Every morning you have fresh water to drink from the spring, and full exposure to the glorious Sun. You are a gorgeous wildflower with amazing colors, and your main job in life is to be wild, beautiful and absolutely free. This level of freedom is powerful, and it means you’ll need to deepen your roots, branch upward against gravity, allow yourself to bud, blossom and spread your petals as wide as you possibly can to receive all the warm sunshine above.
Since your main job in life is simply to blossom, you might as well enjoy the unique blossoming feeling you receive each day. Don’t even think about trying to become more like that huge magnificent pine tree across the field. Just accept your destiny as being this perfect small green stem in this huge organic field. Sure you may notice at night that the Universe is enormous, and feel how insignificant, small and fragile you are. Don’t get caught in minimizing yourself. Just focus on your mission, to blossom fully and spread your sweet fragrance with a full spectrum of colors out for everyone to enjoy.
You can enjoy this life, for you are here to experience it all. Yes, your destiny is to experience everything, the totality of this existence, and learn how to welcome all of life with open petals. Your petals naturally receive any light or darkness that is given. When it’s sunny, just allow the warm nourishing rays to reach deep into your core and enter the stem of your tender heart. You must trust the light that is coming into you, as well as the cool wet nutrients soak into your roots. Allow for both light and dark, and they will provide you with the most healing nourishing grounded stability.
This is why the caribou and the wolf are one; for the caribou feeds the wolf, but it is the wolf that keeps the caribou strong.” -Farley Mowat
It’s good to know your real vitality and strength comes from living as close to your Mother (Nature) as you possibly can. She will provide all your needs, and teach you how to be soft and healthy, yet resilient and strong. Do your best to keep your petals up whenever her dark clouds, persistent winds, or cold hail may beat you down in mid Spring. Just relax and remain deeply rooted in your soil when times are tough. Feel your sweet deep Mother is always there supporting your life. Her dark rich soil is your home. This is where you came from, and this is where you will return one day again in the future.
Yes, you may find during the short course of your life, your great Mother may bring harsher environmental elements to challenge you. Know that she is trying to stir up your soil so that your roots reach deeper into her secure Earth. She might cause a tornado or great thunderstorm to pass through, and it could threaten to uproot your entire life. Don’t take her high pressure winds or dark clouds too personally. She is just reminding you to remain humble, to know your smallness in this vast Universe so you can have even more appreciation and perspective on life. All her soft and hard elements are gifts to balance out your sense of self. This way you don’t get too high on yourself or too low. When you’re in the middle, it’s much easier to feel one with your Mother, and see how her entire Universe was never separate from you, yet the most important part of you.
Other flowers often say it’s good practice to not take this short life too seriously or too personally. Just know that whenever your Mother was harsh with you, she was only fiercely loving you, trying to make you stronger. Just welcome all her challenges, and know they are the essential nutrients needed for you to blossom fully and bear new seeds. Hey, it’s an amazing skill to learn how to survive under 3 feet of heavy snow! All those heavy times will only make you smile when the light warm sunny days happen to arrive.
I hate to tell you this yet there will come a day that you’ll get to experience what it’s like to die. It is 100% certain that all will end one perfect day. The end may come suddenly or gradually. You might be chomped by a hungry rabbit, stomped by a passing deer, or gradually wither away if the wet clouds never come and the rivers dry up. Expect the unexpected. Don’t get too worried about any details in this short little life. It is only meant to be a temporary and very adventurous ride.
Your wild free spirit will live on and on forever. So there is no need to be afraid of anything. You can stop trying to close your petals and protect yourself if a bear, bunny or cloud passes by. Just enjoy living in the wilderness! This one life contains the best of times and the worst of times, so enjoy it all as best you can. You will survive those dark empty nights, just trust that the warm sunshine will arrive when dawn breaks. They say by allowing for every succulent dark and light experience to be a part of you, the richest and sweetest fragrance is cultivated within.
If you should ever get depressed about your fate, just remember that Mother Nature is always here loving you. She gave you life and through the earth, wind, sun and rain she is confirming that she still cares deeply for you. Every morning that she shines her loving light on you, she is wanting you to relax into your roots and know that all is well. You are not some unwanted weed. You are a highly loved, deeply cherished and a totally wild flower. You must realize how extremely special and unique you are! There is no other flowering in the Universe exactly like you.
Every moment is deeply precious little wild one, so be thankful for what you have, and don’t have. If you cling too tightly onto anything, you will not enjoy being here. Simply feel into what is hidden deeper within you, at the very center of your stem, at the source of your life. It holds an experience of irrational joy, unfathomable happiness, unconditional love, and an eternal energy that is independent of any outer cause. This means no change in the weather can affect it.
Lastly, please remember that you are a very spiritual wildflower. This great journey into the long winter ahead can inspire you to find your soul’s highest mission and path. Try rooting yourself with everything you’ve got inside yourself, just so you can blossom fully. You will do well. Your spiritual essence is always here, always flowing and always available for you. You are forever tapped into the eternal spring of life and always in connection with Nature. This is the great spiritual mystery, and you will find all your answers simply by being the amazing wildflower that you already are.
Content by Jafree Ozwald. He is a spiritual guide, writer, and the publisher of EnlightenedBeings.com
Photos by Lupita Peimbert.
Lupitanews.com 