The Lotus Flower

“The lotus is the most beautiful flower, whose petals open one by one. But it will only grow in the mud. In order to grow and gain wisdom, first you must have the mud — the obstacles of life and its suffering. … The mud speaks of the common ground that humans share, no matter what our stations in life. … Whether we have it all or we have nothing, we are all faced with the same obstacles: sadness, loss, illness, dying and death. If we are to strive as human beings to gain more wisdom, more kindness and more compassion, we must have the intention to grow as a lotus and open each petal one by one. ” ―Goldie Hawn

I have been really quiet the past few weeks, listening, watching, feeling life move in so many ways. I feel I have taken a step back from actively participating, and turned into quiet observer. Other than networking lunches, my days and nights are filled with less talking and more listening.

Some days  I feel myself just open up, face up to the sun, heart open, my soul exposed. Then there are days when I just want to close up like a flower, pulling my petals around me so no one can see. My brain moved like a time lapse video showing a flower opening to different degrees, fully open, then closed again. It has become an obsession to match an actual flower to the one in my head, but I found it.

It is the Lotus Flower.

After reading a lot about the Lotus flower, it makes a little more sense why I am drawn to it. Beginning as a seed in the mud, deep down in the water, the lotus flower pushes through, up toward the sun where it breaks the surface of the water and blooms. In order to appreciate the clarity of the water, you have to go deal with the muck and dirt. It is a life cycle of perseverance, appreciation, and gratitude. The sun shines down, alighting upon the flower, drawing open the petals…one…by…one..when they are ready.  What I didn’t know is that the lotus closes up at night and goes back down beneath the water. It is just as important to open yourself up to receive as it is to be introspective and process what you have received. Each phase is like a mini cocoon for me as I grow and shed old beliefs to make room for new possibilities.

It’s kind of an ironic joke life plays on you constantly. Just when you feel like you have got it together, some other area in your life becomes challenging and you find yourself back in the mud, struggling back up to the sun. Those new struggles are actually the exposed seeds that need the adversity to become that new flower. Life is a constant process of learning, shifting, and shedding.   The stronger you become, the harder the challenge next time around. What have you learned to apply this situation? It should be that the more you struggle and persevere, next time around should be easier because you have more tools to draw from. It’s not. The more you learn about yourself, the deeper you dig inside, pushing you to grow-just like the lotus flower.

My aunt has a water lily or lotus garden. Sitting by the side of it would always bring me comfort or a sense of peace. The beautiful blossoms just resting on the surface of the water, still connected to the dirt, but rising above it. It became a morning ritual to have my tea by the water garden. Now I have a deeper understanding for my affinity with these flowers. Beauty comes from struggle, wisdom comes when you allow yourself to float and open up to the lessons. There is something very comforting about that. It’s an image that I can hold on to when I am down in the dirt pushing towards the sun.