Life has undeniably imparted most of us with a valuable lesson that holds the potential to substitute many forms of knowledge. And that lesson is the constant presence of unexplored opportunities, hidden away in some corner, in some dimension, even if we may not initially recognize it.
If we can just overcome our instinctive tendencies of self-preservation and instead dare to dream, take risks, and invite the vastness of life to infiltrate our beings, we can uncover these hidden possibilities. Something, even if not extraordinary, always awaits our gaze, our touch, and our entire existence to embrace, comprehend, and integrate into our life’s journey.
When traversing the depths of the soul’s darkest night, it seems unimaginable that anything lies beyond that pain.
I now not only understand, but deeply and fundamentally grasp, and KNOW KNOW that an infinity of possibilities orbits around me ceaselessly. I don’t have to constantly seek them out. I simply need to pause and observe. Even the most routine actions, like blending sugar into my coffee, can be infused with a profound sense of presence.
Numerous instances in my life have played a pivotal role in leading me toward this profound understanding. One such moment occurred years ago, on a sunny November, during a trip to Cape Town, South Africa, when I was in the midst of one of my most challenging periods. I had been grappling with a stubborn parasite for a couple of years, likely contracted while savoring street foods in some “nowhere” coastal town in the south of Vietnam. Everything seemed to be veering off course, including my relationships. I distinctly recall shedding a considerable amount of weight that year and was in some form of physical and emotional pain.
Nonetheless, during this trip, my friends and I decided to embark on a short expedition into the Atlantic Ocean. We were accompanied by a marine biologist who guided us in our quest to spot Southern right whales. Despite it being summertime in South Africa, as we ventured further from the coast on a three-hour boat ride, I could feel the air growing cooler around me.
After what felt like hours of searching and meeting with dolphins and sea lions, we finally spotted this magnificent creature on the distant horizon. We cautiously approached, but she remained wary at the beginning. Accompanied by her calf, this colossal creature that swayed near our vessel, was capable of altering our existence with a mere movement. Yet, in some inexplicable way, this gentle giant sensed we meant no harm. She moved slowly next to our boat, then she remained still. I could see her curious eye staring back at us, filled with some sort of wonder and love. It was then that my epiphany struck.
Once again, I found myself in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by mostly strangers, fully aware that anything could go terribly wrong. I was floating on top of the largest ocean, with no land for hours around me and yet, I felt a deep belonging to the world, I felt safe and incredibly calm. A form of intelligence was making its way inside me, perhaps, like never before and I felt its power. I felt power and I felt connection and I felt alive. And in this place of utter amazement, the whale song became one with me.
And nothing else really mattered at that moment because I had made friends with such a beautiful form of life. And nothing really mattered also because I could, once again, feel that the world has so much more than mere promises. The world harbors an immeasurable wealth of beauty and wonder, and it is up to us to choose whether we wish to explore and embrace it.
I am unsure for how long that moment lasted; it might have been mere minutes or stretched into hours. Nevertheless, its worth surpassed that of a lifetime, demonstrating to me once again, that one can emerge from obscurity, wander aimlessly, and still encounter the divine.
THE WONDERMIND 