Lemons are... intriguing. All the sunlight they absorb shines through the yellow of their skin. The peel is pleasantly fragrant; the shavings have been used in pastry recipes for ages. But when we cut the fruit, the inside is very sour. That's probably why lemons have been associated with "sour face", the expression of unpleasant emotion, as well the negative social reaction. Lemon oil is an effective repellent: ants don't like it at all, as my husband discovered by chance. It also "repels" bad odors, and removes grease.
Yet, when we squeeze a little bit of lemon juice into a large pitcher of cold water, we get the most refreshing summer drink.
Lemons are like seeds: one needs to know how to bring them to life, how to get the best out of them, how to discover their purpose. One needs to experiment to find the best use of things... and life.
Do we still dare to explore? Do we dare to question the rules, the orders, common practices? Children are good at that: they continually ask why. Their parents and teachers possess various degrees of patience in answering them.
Out of four basic questions--why, how, who, when--why is the most essential. And don't stop at the initial response you may get, no matter how complete and obvious it seems. Keep going deeper. Why do you write? Because I enjoy it. Why do you enjoy it? Because ... You see what I mean. I'm sure you've played this game before.
These questions can be applied to grand and mundane matters. Why was the Universe created? How was it created? Who created it? When was it created? Or... Why do I need food? Who will I get it? Who will provide it? When will I receive it?
Oddly, the more indispensable the matter, the greater is the gap between the why and the how. At least at the current state of human civilization. We all need food, otherwise, we cannot live. But getting the meal on the table is a challenge; many are left hungry every day. Children are starving to death in many countries. Or, it may be your neighbor who quietly cuts her food supplies to a bare minimum because she cannot find a job that pays enough for a decent living. Yet, you aren't even aware of her suffering.
People across the globe are spending their waking hours struggling to earn enough money to feed their families... so that they can live. It just doesn't make any sense. Working ourselves to exhaustion to be able to buy a meager meal in order to continue to be exploited the next day?!
Equal provision for common human needs should be structured into every society. Water, food, clothing, housing, education, health care should be accessible to all, regardless of their financial and social status. We should all contribute our time and skills to the sustainable bedrock of healthy communities.
The result? There would be much less stress in the world because we wouldn't worry if our children have something to eat. Anger would be reduced because there would be no reason to fight over the limited resources. Why? Because the basics would be available a-plenty to everyone.
We would also have more quality time to pursue pure human activities: creativity and community building. When we're struggling with mere survival, we don't have much energy left, if any, to engage the most human part of the brain: the frontal lobe. We are stuck in the fight-or-flight reptilian mode. Isn't it time to evolve, finally?
Let's light up the curves of the frontal lobe. How? Some integrated movement, such as eurythmy, yoga, tai chi would do the trick, according to the scientific research summarized by Dr. Carla Hannaford in her book Smart Moves. Move to refresh and open up your brain to develop and practice higher level thinking that embraces creative activities and global community awareness, leading to deeds of compassion and cooperation among people. Let's dive in and explore the hidden treasures of what it means to be human. Let's expand the mind to embrace the angelic aspects of our nature.
Dare to explore who you are. Be courageous to take off the veneer of your lower vibe earthly ego. Be strong enough to connect with your Highest Self. Persevere to maintain the brilliance of your unique column of Light. Why? So that you can shine Love into the world, and nourish the global community of fellow human beings with compassion. As far as I can see, this is the ultimate reason for self development, the true purpose of enlightenment.
Over to you, dear Soulful Reader:
What will you dare to explore this week?