What we can’t see is fueling what we can see. Most fight the leaves because they are the most visible but shifting the perspective to what we cannot see leads to the discovery of the root, which feeds what we can see. Leaves are easier to see, they are obvious, but wisdom sees beyond the branches and leaves. And to discover the root is to discover the heart. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks and what we hear is what we believe. I’ve learned it’s not that obstacles are so strong but that we’ve given them power. Seeing correctly, having a clear understanding, ensures our math adds up. It’s rare that what we see is all there is. Life is a game of multiplication; whats purposeful is a process of addition and what is lacking is one of subtraction. Being conscious creates a needed balance but if we only stare at our problems we will never traverse a bridge over them.
SEE MORE
What we look at becomes bigger and what we give size we give the authority to take up space. In many areas of our lives, we look at the wrong things and hold expectations that only lead to disappointment. Is what you’ve been focusing on creating change or is it quicksand? All movement won’t lead you forward, some things take you deeper into whats harming/stoping you. If what you’re focusing on isn’t pulling you out of your depression and over your obstacle it’s not helping you. Be sure to find what can help you; It may take some digging but its worth the effort. The bottom line of any battle comes down to US. Even if we didn’t cause what happened to us we can control where we go from there. We don’t have to receive what we’ve been given. Having a clear view maximizes our responsibility to manage what we do have. Self-control isn’t used just to stop eating so much ice cream and chips, but a discipline that teaches us to reign over our emotions. How have you been handling whats in your control? Have you even taken control or have you allowed emotions and opinion to block the wisdom of accountability? Do you really want change or have you found comfort in complaining?
THE LAMP OF YOUR EYE
Overcoming the cycle is to allow the lamp of the eye to see and speak what needs to be heard, not what is. What you look at will either illuminate whats there or darken it. This is the problem with focusing on negativity more than positivity; you become what you hate. Have an understanding of whats there but don’t stop there. If you dwell on your problems you’ll only drown in them and If you keep fighting leaves, they will grow back. It’s not until you kill the root that you will cut off the source that’s been feeding your pain and it’s not until YOU GROW from your trials that you’ve truly conquered them.
On every level, we have limited space. We are limitless but growth is a summation of level to level. Therefore, before we arrive at the next level we must create space for it. Growth. If what we have allowed taking space doesn’t expand us we will never arrive at the next level. We will remain full and stuck. Wallowing in pain, overlooking the need to grow because in some areas we are successful, having doubt, negativity or simply settling for life as it is, causes your obstacles to grow, not you. You’re clogged up. It’s time to empty out the old and bring in the NEW. Once YOU GROW you’ll expand. There isn’t enough space for you and whats fighting you, you have to choose. Either keep looking at your obstacles or start seeing yourself again. We become the reflection of what we look at and if we don’t declare to our obstacles who we are they will declare to us who we are. Too often we become what we face when really we’re designed to remain and conquer.
FACTS
I keep saying obstacle and not essentially “problem” because not everyone is in the worst place. Some people just need to level up but have stopped evolving. Not everyone is depressed, some just haven’t figured out how to move forward. And some have ignored the necessity of it. Wrong perspective and lacking vision occur in many areas. In life it’s easy to focus on the negative and get trapped but its also easy to focus on whats “good” and overlook the need for growth in other areas. This is why the battle of root and leaves isn’t one of what looks good or is visible but understanding what is feeding it all; rather good or bad. Wholeness is the goal. Having the courage to discover roots is the same boldness needed to embrace the garden of life. When we strive to live whole we strengthen our weak areas because sometimes the answer isn’t found in what we can see but what we weren’t looking for. Streams and rivers lead to oceans. Maybe our ocean is in a drought because we’ve cut off some of its sources by overlooking the other areas of our lives that are requiring growth. Remember the bottom line is us.
In career, we often focus on others success/validation. In obstacle, we focus on the problem more than the solution, in a relationship we stop at what they did to us versus accepting what WE have ALLOWED and in life we settle for the few good areas we’ve managed to create. Have we put so much energy into trying to swim in deep waters that we’ve wasted energy we should use building a bridge over them? Each obstacle serves as a lens of enlightenment. Every war cannot be won the same. New strategy, weapons and approach are always needed because some wars aren’t worth the casualties and therefore require a smarter fight to minimize what will be lost.
THE BIG PICTURE
Ego delays the journey and extends the route to healing. Getting honest is only half the battle for many acknowledge they’ve allowed the leaves to grow but many fail to see the need for the other half; strengthening oneself to finally chop the entire tree down. What you have to do might make you cry but if you don’t it might make you die. The pain of victory is always worth it. Don’t let your pride stop you from winning. Analyze every part of your life and ask, is this good enough? Let light find the corners of your darkness and begin to light them up. If you’re the sun you cannot become the darkness, you’re to shine in it. You can’t be afraid of what you will find once it’s illuminated. Once you see if it’s good – add to it; let your dreams and positivity multiply. If its bad, subtract it- remove whats only taking up space but not creating expansion. I know the leaves are brighter and the root is deep under layers of dirt and soil but digging up your heart will finally let it breathe again. You’ve been dying in other areas of your life not because you don’t want to live but because your heart has stopped beating and can’t supply life to them. If you’re honest with yourself, have you used success to cover up the reality that you’re NOT GROWING? If you’re honest with yourself, have you allowed one or two bad leaves to poison the whole tree? If you’re honest with yourself did you forget you’re greater than just one tree that has gone good or bad? If you’re honest have you become what you hate? Have you settled for safe? Its time to tend to your garden but first get past the leaves.