My Life welcomes experiences of Beauty and Inspiration.
Sometimes these moments take me by surprise, and at other times,
I find myself seeking them.
Yesterday, however, was an example of an unexpected surprise!
For me, a morning beach walk is not a routine, rather it is a cherished moment in time. When I arrived at the steps leading to the beach I couldn’t help but notice that the surf had brought in dozens of Portuguese Men of War. Being conditioned to disdaining these unusual creatures, my first response was “ugh”! Then, as I noticed the morning sun illuminating their brightly colored “fans”, I opened my perspective to allow for the possibility that something this beautiful may actually be worthy of respect and appreciation.
Resembling magnificent blown glass, the Portuguese Man of War is a unique species. These animals do not have arms or a mouth to capture food, nor do they have legs to move about. Their survival depends on two things: one is their ability to group together and work collectively, and the other is that they can inflate their bodies in order to more easily travel with the currents of the wind and sea. When they work together, sometimes in numbers exceeding 1000, these identical animals act as one organism. In order to maintain life, they do not appear to depend upon a specific leader but rather they collectively submit to trusting the currents of Life. After observing their unique and amazing biology, I thanked them for introducing me to their distinctive way of life. When recognizing that without any arms, legs or mouth, they could not defend themselves, I quickly apologized for my harsh criticism of their powerful sting.
Then, in the silence of this humbling moment, I heard their message:
“Trust in the Sea of Life!
The Divine Creator has mapped out a unique path for each species and each individual.” Then they continued, “Be grateful for your own individual talents and forgive those who shun or criticize what they do not understand. Learn to work with others, and always remember that each of you are a unique and magnificent Creation. And finally, fill your sails and trust your Divine Creator to guide, protect and defend you as you journey through the Currents of Life!”
Soon my walk was ending and as I was leaving the beach my mind stumbled onto the following quote from Rumi:
“Live life as though everything has been rigged in your favor.”
