The Dance of Life
It is possible to identify ourselves, and even our circumstances, with the underrated power of nature. Mother Earth has a way of demonstrating how powerful things are.
Nothing speaks louder about those effects than the weather. We can sometimes use the forecast as a clear analogy of where we stand. Whether it's a sunny day or a thunderous rainy night, we can often see our motivations reflected in them.
Sometimes, the situations are so severe that not even a rainy evening would suffice. Occasionally, we feel as if we are caught in a life-threatening storm.
We can feel pain when heavy raindrops hit the ground thanks to gale-force winds pushing them. We may be unable to walk because the water level has risen so high that it is impossible to find our balance. There is hardly any light. As a result, we can also say that every step we take can and will make a significant impact.
It is possible to move forward in a triumphant way or to fall into the darkest mental dungeon. Every decision can change everything! And while we remain in that place, the devastating effects of that internal struggle can either make us or break us.
We seem to be unable to find where to go or who to speak to. We can get to the point of feeling so lonely that our hearts become immune to pain. By repressing our emotions, we are inadvertently idle. We become emotional mannequins. Unaffected by reality, unimportant in our roles. These conglomerates of feelings begin to solidify so rapidly within us. During the process of paying attention to them, they have become chains that keep us entrapped. We are securely bolted to the wall of an emotional prison that truly hates us.
We try to open the windows to breathe some fresh air. However, the inclement weather is so severe that life itself is at risk if we try. Thus, we do nothing. In doing so, we turn our lives into a solitary existence apart from others. We feel consumed. We feel dead inside.
But just like it happens in any major storm, right before the winds of trial begin to change, the peaceful and embracing presence of the eye makes its way above us. That window of opportunity and clarity that erases any threat becomes the beacon of hope that we desire. With it, there is plenty of light. The rain and the winds disappear. The air becomes thinner and with the sunlight rays that begin to leak through, we also feel hope!
Our dungeon walls begin to expand, and we somehow see the horizon. The line of eternity in the distance reminds us of how insignificant we can all portray ourselves to be, when in fact, we are quite the opposite. Those tempestuous winds, which once shook us, are now just a reflection of the soft wind that carries with it, voices of clarity and solutions. We suddenly feel lighter and more relevant.
But in the middle of this understanding, we can also accept that the eye is nothing but a reminder that the storm will once again take its course. This is because the same stormy winds that shook us before will now try to do the same from a different direction. Their relentless attack will continue, but from a different angle. This is what we all need to understand. It is not about the storm. It is not about the wind. Everything hinges on where we decide to stay. We must decide whether to stay in the dark dungeon with the deafening sounds of the storm or to take advantage of the momentary glimpse of hope that we can use to find our way out.
Mother Earth has a way of showing us how things are in a very powerful manner. But nothing is clearer than the eye of a storm. Nothing speaks louder than the reality of facing the odds in this life as it relates to where we stand physically, emotionally, and spiritually! Storms can surely make us feel fear. They have the power to move us! But the storm does not decide the outcome of our story. We do!
We are the keyholders to the padlocks that keep those chains secure over us. We are the sole controller of the outcome of our stories. We decide. You will never be swept away by a storm. You alone control that. I have come to understand that living through a storm does not make anyone stronger. What defines who you truly are is what we see once you have survived! The most poignant part of your story is what lies behind the storm. Storms will continue to be among us. These emotional weather phenomena will continue to appear. But that is part of living.
That circle of survival and defiance of the odds is called living! And as long as we remain here, it will never end. And so, if you pay attention to the movement of a storm, you will be surprised to know that its trajectory is dictated by the elements that surround it. The development of that weather is influenced by what it has around it. Those elements of development are key to its damaging effects. So are we!
I propose we pay attention to the winds because they bring change upon us. It is their movement that captures our intentions and what drives the hope we have for the future. We can mimic its moves, if we could only identify where they are heading on a map, then we can follow along. In time, those subtle movements and fashionable displacements will culminate in a collaboration that brings growth and victory. Without even knowing it, we would embrace the storm instead of fearing it. What a beautiful idea! I want it. Let me be the first to look at my storm straight in its eye, hold its hands, and courageously continue my personal dance of life!
R. Cortes / 2022 - TITD Podcast
