Some of us may have heard that thought exercise, “The View from Above” developed by Marcus Aurelius where he asks us to zoom out of your life on earth, slowly going farther and farther away into the universe. This helps us realise that we, and consequently our problems are a mere speck in the vast, unknown universe.
Today, a similar exercise came to me. Just imagine that you did not exist. And suddenly there is our existence – we are alive! And with it comes the capacity to experience life in all its vicissitudes. Now, in this canvas of experience – a depression has occurred, or something untoward has come to pass. As I was going through the pain of this sadness that has come over me for the past few months – I still have the capacity to feel, to experience life. This aliveness is precious and complete – for it lacks nothing. Whatever I may experience, this capacity stays with me. Some say until my death, and some say beyond it. Regardless, as long as this awareness exists, it stays with me.
This space, I soon realised, is the space from which gratitude emerges. Gratitude not for the big things in life, but the small things – like sitting on my favourite couch sipping my morning tea. From this space also emerges the sweet sadness for the things I have lost. And while I grieve the loss fully, I equally cherish the memory of what I had – not with regret, but with love that comes from the fullness of my being.
That is my prayer for today.
