and a heaven in a wild flower,
hold infinity in the palm of your hand
and eternity in an hour."
~ William Blake
What images do you see when you read these words?
How deeply do these images touch you?
Can you hear the deeper meaning resonating within your being?
What does that sound like to you?
What sensations or memories does all of this stir up inside of you?
For me, each time this quote crosses my path shivers instantly begin to run up my spine propelling me into a magical state of wordless understanding. I immediately recognize the awareness Blake speaks of; the depth of life that goes far beyond the physical senses where time and space cease to exist, pure connection, pure being; the essence of all that is.
Microcosm emerges with macrocosm. Energy is visible. Light emerges, streaming through the void between particles. Thought or thing, I’m not really sure. Experience…absolutely! This picture I am attempting to paint with words is a vague watered down version of the actual sight that I see. I cannot describe it any better than this. The experience is also audible although again I cannot begin to describe the sound that I am hearing. There are words on the tip of my tongue although I sense that these words are inadequate and could never truly describe the sound I am hearing so there they remain on my tongue. Maybe one day I will be able to express them. Although, most likely not.
At some point in our lives, if only for a flash in time, we have all sensed this golden thread of energy that connects, nourishes and animates all life. However we each experience it in our own unique way. Another word for this experience, for this incredible sensation is AWE. It is an Awe filled moment, an experience that is far beyond words, in fact it is beyond expression by any means. Although we attempt to convey it in a physical sense through words, sound, movement, or images…nothing can quite portray the experience accurately. Although, what our attempts can do is to create a catalyst that helps us and others to return to this feeling of connection. That is what this quote is to me…a catalyst… a very powerful and effective one.
Now, right now, only now…and again now!
Can you remember the moments when somewhere deep inside you heard yourself say “I GET IT!” You were there! For that split second you knew…you understood!!! Even if though those moments usually come in a flash and disappears just as quickly…these are the moments that bring pure joy, magic and intense meaning to our lives! They are the source of pure creativity.
How about now…Can you feel it? Does any of this bring something back for you? Do you remember that incredible feeling of connection? That feeling of Awe? It may not be the same as my experience but I’ll bet it was just as intense. Right now as I write these words I can feel the electricity of those experiences coursing through me remembering those flashes of insight as I write these words.
How about you?
Is there a way that you can you bring this feeling back to you?
Would you like to?
Of course you would!
Who wouldn’t?!
The good news is that there is a way to do this…really there is! And when you get really good at it, you can do it at will!!! How about that?! But to get to this place it takes practice. Just like anything, the more we do it, the easier it is to do.
As for me, I would love to immerse myself in this feeling 24/7/365 but of course I’m not there yet. Yet…is the operative word here. Is it possible? You know, I’m not really sure, but I’m most definitely assuming that it is and I’m certainly going to keep moving in that direction. The thing is that I choose to believe that it is possible. Do I expect myself to be there right now? No I don’t, but the truth is that I used to. This brought nothing but grief and disappointment. Thankfully I have finally realized that this wanting, striving and self berating when I couldn’t get there was actually pushing the experience away from me or vice versa. I discovered that it wasn’t in searching for the feeling that would bring it to me but in finding the catalyst that worked for me, then letting go and relaxing into the feeling when I felt it begin to emerge.
At least once per day I consciously put myself into the place where I can open up to receiving the experience of connection and awareness.
Opening up rather than looking for.
These really are two different things.
And one more thing to note here...no two experiences are ever the same even within the same person!
There are many different ways to achieve this state of “opening up” and one size definitely does not fit all. In fact often throughout the course of the day, many different approaches can be taken. What worked a minute ago may not be working now. Time to move on.
One thing I have found that works for me is to look at something ordinary through the eyes of my inner child. I completely and totally immerse myself in that one thing; whatever it may be. Then I call upon my curious “why” mind…the mind of that inner child. It’s very easy as an adult to fall into the rut of accepting the obvious answer for something. Our minds are so full of information on pretty well every subject imaginable. Why do we need to look any further when it’s so obvious? But is it really? The truth is that much of this information that has been fed to us by others over the course of our lives is sadly too often not true at all. Still, we blindly accept this information anyway. Why wouldn’t we? Everyone else does. But if we think about it…whose truth is it really? And is it as true today as it was yesterday? Have you ever believed that the world is flat?
Personally I find there are times when it feels as though my mind is a sponge that is completely saturated and I feel as though it could not possibly hold one more drop of information, stimulus, nothing…another word from anyone, including myself and I might just explode.
KABOOM…TO THE MOON!!!
Times like these I feel myself buckling up, bracing myself against the world, against searching, against information, against everything. Body, mind and spirit I can feel myself tightening up. What a horrible feeling. So why do I do it? I guess that I just forget not to.
Actually it is exactly those times when the catalyst is what I need the most, not the brace. When I can remember this and manage to loosen the belt of control on my rational mind everything begins to feel better. “Rational” thoughts are released for a moment allowing myself the freedom to momentarily wipe the slate clean and with pure intention I am able to ask the powers that be, whatever it is that they be, “Why?”
More often than not, the simple act of asking why is exactly the catalyst that I need to bring the experience of connection and awe to me. A bonus to this is that all of a sudden the inner turmoil dissipates into the nothingness where it belongs. I can see again! The trick is to remember to do this.
This has become a mission for me…finding external ways to remind myself when internally my life is in turmoil. I am in the process of gathering a collection of catalysts to use at will when I need them the most. Here are a few things that I’ve come up with:
Cards I’ve made with quotations that I’ve written down. I place them here and there throughout the house; on the wall, in the cupboard, in the drawers, where ever…places where I can bump into them and connect with them throughout the day.
Brightly colored pictures that spark my attention hang on the walls; my paintings, my children's drawings...anything that brings energy.
I change the picture on my desktop when the spirit moves me to do so as well...anything to grab my attention.
I have also written one large note on the chalkboard in my kitchen that simply states…
SEEK THE MAGIC IN THE ORDINARY!
Another thing that I did after my shower a couple of days ago was this: I wrote the word BREATHE in the steam on the mirror. It felt like such a rebel thing to do. No fingers on the mirror... right? I did it anyway. Well, today after my morning shower…there it was again in the steam on the mirror…”Breathe” This isn’t magic…we all know how it works, but it sure feels magical. And while reading it I actually did remember to breathe! CONSCIOUSLY! Deep, thoughtful cleansing breaths are another great way to bring us into the present moment where inspiration exists. Just a simple act, but it sure makes a big difference.
The thing is that if we can consciously place our attention on the little things throughout the day bringing awareness into our lives one moment at a time it is possible to enjoy and participate in that wonderful magical joy of living in the NOW…
Go ahead...
“hold infinity in the palm of your hand
and eternity in an hour.”
and eternity in an hour.”
EternityP.A.Ellis Vision Art
