Tell me.
What is it you plan to do?
With your one wild and precious life.
I am not sure this question,
Posed by Mary Oliver in her poem,
The Summer Day,
Can be checked back in with too much in life.
Because it never ages.
And there is such an abundance of life to inspire us,
Even in the toughest times.
It is still there,
Still striving onwards,
Still showing itself,
To remind us of that sense of aliveness and flourishing,
And what it means to have that.
As I record this,
The Commonwealth Games are in full flow.
So,
There's plenty of inspiration from people being in a moment of horizon.
They have been working towards for a long time.
People who are grasping their one wild and precious life.
The rest of us,
If we choose,
Get to witness them doing that.
Whether what you want to do with your life is to go for gold,
Affect global change,
Teach future generations.
Or to simply live kindly and gratefully and tend your garden and be part of your local community.
Something that is so deeply needed in the world right now.
Connecting in with how we find meaning in our everyday is a nourishing and guiding practice that can support our sense of self,
Sense of purpose,
Self-worth and autonomy.
All of which are key elements that support our well-being,
Our growth,
Our development,
And our courage to live with aliveness and purpose.
Regular reflection on these things is like regular nourishment.
But even if we don't manage that.
.
.
You can be sure that life will offer nudges to reflect.
Whether that is a hormonal shift,
A change in your work,
A bereavement,
National and global events,
A reminder of a path not taken.
Or something else,
Those nudges are sure to show up.
So do keep on listening.
Of course,
There are many paths any of us can take.
Some of us having more doors open to us in life.
And some people have more awareness that those doors even exist,
And that there are helping hands along the way.
And some people find that one thing,
One purpose is just crystal clear.
Others see many enticing,
Fulfilling,
And impactful possibilities.
And some people are simply,
Steadfastly determined to look for and find those doors and possibilities.
And others find this murky and mysterious.
And it simply does not come so easily.
There are many processes we can go through to clarify our purpose and what that looks like in action.
But I do love the simplicity of Mary Oliver's question.
There is something so powerful and stirring in it that invites energy and a willingness to step into a fullness of life.
And to find our way as we go.
Because that is all any of us can do.
Find our way,
One step at a time.
And to keep on listening to ourselves and the world around us.
Staying curious and reflecting on questions is key to finding our way.
Questions often being so much more valuable than answers.
By stepping through life with curiosity.
Just like the young of any species.
We learn so much and we more easily recognize how best we can contribute to this incredible place that needs every one of us to grasp our one wild and precious life.
So,
Dear one,
What do you plan to do with yours?
