I had an uplifting conversation with a friend recently. We covered all the bases, as you do with a good friend. Shared our current state of affairs, describing what life from our view looks like. It took a full two hours to get a proper catch up, but it’s in these conversations that always leave me a little clearer on where I need to make changes, and where I need to stay the same and accept what is.
We of course went so far as discussing the state of the world, because what would any discussion with another mother be without a personal to global outlook? I asked her, “what are your thoughts on the conversations online regarding COVID, the vaccine and politics? And she, being the light in the dark that she is, responded, “I think when we get caught up or worried about the external world, it’s important to always go inward, because if our thoughts, our feelings and our own lives are chaos, so is the external world.” Go INWARD. That’s always been the way, hasn’t it? Being that all things are connected, we are the universe, the universe is us.
I’ve recently found myself wanting to do more outside the home than I am now. But if I’m honest, I’m still in an intense emotional exchange with my young boys on the daily. I have some creative outlets outside of caregiving (like this column for instance), but if I want to make an impact in the public space, I need to ensure that my private space is calm and peaceful.
This got me thinking of author, Leo Tolstoy’s short story, of an emperor’s three questions:
1. “What is the best time to do each thing?”
2. “Who are the most important people to work with?”
3. “What is the most important thing to do at all times?”
The emperor issued a decree announcing that whoever could answer the questions would receive a great reward. Many answered the emperors call and attempted to answer, and all to no avail. And so, the emperor sought out a wise hermit who lived up on the mountain. After two interesting days the hermit revealed the emperors wonderous answers. The emperor, did not at first understand the teachings and so the hermit explained:
Remember that there is only one important time and that is now. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. The most important person is always the person you are with, who is right before you, for who knows if you will have dealings with any other person in the future? The most important pursuit is making the person standing at your side happy, for that alone is the pursuit of life.
If I want to create positive change in the world, I first need to create peace and joy within me, my home and community. As poet, Robin Morgan simply put it, “the personal is political”.
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