life

We are in a constant quest for power and for solutions to our problems. And far too often, we are caught looking outside of ourselves for the answers to those problems.

It happens in so many different facets of our lives. Take, for example, the war in Iraq. We now know that the issue of weapons of mass destruction was, well, a non-issue. I think it’s safe to say that it was an issue of oil. So we start looking beyond our borders, to the Middle East, to find a solution. We then feel the need to have a presence there in order to have greater access to oil. Sadly, the problem is one within our own borders, and within ourselves. How? We have a problem of energy consumption. Use less oil, need less oil from elsewhere. Pretty simple.

But of course, that would require that we seek the answer that lies within.

It expands to many other areas of our world. It could be a teacher, a parent, or a medical professional. Instead of stating “I gave you some homework to do, so why didn’t you do it?”, would we be better off asking ourselves “what did I not do to get you to comprehend the importance and value-added benefit of that homework?”.

We even go so far as to seek answers outside of our realm. We look for spiritual guidance from beyond. We look to gurus (and the Cult Of Personality) who compel us to believe that they in fact have all the answers. We look to mystics who tell us that if we can only attain their level of spirituality or understanding, we might just be able to attain the level of knowing that they have and that we so deeply desire.

But could the power lie within each and every one of us, right at this very moment?

Being “in the moment” is the essence of being present in your world. Or so the Zen masters might tell us. For many, this is an outrageously difficult task. It is elegant in it’s simplicity, yet challenging in it’s deeper meaning.

We’re caught up in the passage of time. Life. Experience. Spirituality. A series of moments, all demanding a description, an expression of the experience. And for many, the more pearls on that necklace, the better.

What amazes me is how we can struggle to simply be in the moment, but we’re bound and determined in the meantime to capture the moment and document it in any way possible. It doesn’t matter if you are an artist, or a scientist. It’s not a left brain or right brain task.

Is it possible to focus so hard on capturing the moment that it becomes impossible to simply experience it? And once you’ve captured that moment, what do you do with it?

We are faced with our own mortality on a regular basis. We may build a bucket list - a list of things you want to do before you die – because of this sense of “holy crap, I need to do some things while I have time remaining on this planet”. The phrase became more widely used after the release of the movie of the same name starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.

In principle, the bucket list makes good sense. I understand that people may have a list of items that they want to experience prior to departing this world. Or things they want to see or do. And I get that. Hell, I probably have a few of my own.

But it's the modern-day interpretation of it that loses me. You complete the bucket list item, say “I did that”, scratch it off the list, and move on to the next item. It’s done. It’s so 21st century.

In my humble opinion, there is so much more to life than just knocking a bunch of items off a to-do list. And therein lies the incongruity for me. Is the bucket list about “the journey” or “the destination”? Is the bucket list about “doing things”? Or is it about the journey of self-actualization, context and growth? Is it about our “instant gratification” mentality, our drive to achieve and to accomplish, our need for a defining moment that gives us meaning? Or is it about leaving a legacy for the world to enjoy when we are gone?

Call it what you will. I just know, from my time on the third stone from the sun, that the universe will provide if we open our awareness to the world around us. The universe has a way of reminding us, of guiding us, of teaching us a few things if we simply pay attention.

Sometimes, common themes emerge. Apparently, there are times when the universe really wants you to understand something, really wants you to take note and learn something. And with that in mind, the theme that hath come full circle repeatedly of late is one of serenity.

It is no small wonder that I don’t run with an iPod or mp3 player, simply because I find this to be a great time to get away from all the distractions of daily life. The peacefulness of hearing my feet strike the ground, my breathing, and then, my thoughts. And then – the moment. That precious moment. And another. And another. It’s almost like a string of pearls – each moment beautiful of it’s own accord, strung together one by one. A time when all stands still, when stuff just doesn’t matter, but the moment does.

Today’s 3M half marathon was a great reminder of how running provides us not only with an environment in which to "let go”, but also a metaphor for life as we know it. This metaphor also stands to remind us of how we err in daily life, and how we can excel.

Even when you know that stuff happens, that distractions rule your existence, it’s a challenge to rectify it. It is so hard to simply “be in the moment” and to let go of our attachment to emotions, drama, angst, anger, frustration, discontent, and a plethora of unpleasant stuff. And let’s face it – can you be self-actualized when you are chasing stuff around all day?

At this point, you must be asking “why ponder physics on New Year’s Eve?”, and this would undoubtedly be a fair question. Physics certainly doesn’t involve resolutions, or the consumption of alcohol, or watching the ball drop on Time’s Square.

But when left to your own thoughts about life, when left facing the challenges of your world, you may sometimes revel in some newfound insight. And insight finds us at the strangest moments, at times when we are open to what the universe has to say to us. Perhaps the problems don’t change, but the way we see them changes. As Einstein himself noted, “the significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them”. Smart man, that Einstein guy.

Strangely enough, physics may indeed contribute to not only our understanding of the world around us – but the world within us as well. There are two optical principles that I can think of right now that apply to life as well as they do to our physical realm.

I never imagined that a squirrel would provide some valuable life lessons. That’s certainly what I thought - until one fateful day not that long ago.

Wilber was his name. Wilber the squirrel. In all reality, he probably wasn’t called Wilber in the animal kingdom. I am sure he was nameless in the squirrel world, until he received the moniker from me.

Wilber and I would have not had any reason to meet. Wilber’s world hadn’t crossed mine - until he fell out of a tree. I am sure it’s not that rare for a squirrel to fall out of a tree, land on it’s feet, and scurry off to new adventures. But as I soon found out, he was a baby squirrel, and I don’t think he’d fully understood the concept of how to jump and fall safely. I found him in the yard, obviously scared and unable to move his hind legs. He was barely the size of my palm.

It was a Sunday morning, and a quick online search revealed a contact email for Wildlife Rescue. Email sent. Waiting. Waiting. More waiting.