“Become totally empty; Quiet the restlessness of the mind; Only then will you witness everything unfolding from emptiness.” Lao Tzu
In a noisy, full world, I wonder how it would be to live from the place of allowing everything to emerge from emptiness. I wonder not just how it would be, but how I might create this experience more often in my life. And, I dream about the world we will co-create as more of us take this path.
In a noisy, full world, it’s no wonder that emptiness has a bad rap. “Emptiness as a human condition is a sense of generalized boredom, social alienation and apathy,” says the Wikipedia article on the topic, highlighting emptiness as a “negative, unwanted” condition.
This Western view seems to ignore that, on some level, all creation starts from emptiness. A great novel starts with a blank computer screen (or piece of paper). Great art starts from a blank canvas. A fabulous soup starts with an empty soup pot. The planet was formed in emptiness at precisely the right place and the right time.
Okay, it’s quite a leap from a blank canvas to the formation of our home, planet Earth. But at this time of Solstice, I’m reminded that this is a time to celebrate the birth of the planet. In the deep stillness, quiet, and dark of winter, I’m choosing emptiness as a focal point of my celebration.
Inspired by the ’21 Days of Gratitude’ that thousands participated in last month on Facebook and wanting to acknowledge the Winter Solstice as something more than a moment on the calendar, I’m creating a personal ’10 Days of Solstice’. And, I invite you to join me by creating yours.
I feel a call to honor this precious time of darkness before the light begins to return. I feel a deep desire to be in the quiet that nature provides during this season, and use her as a guide on my own path. I sense that this is exactly what I need at this juncture in life.
No, I’m not totally unplugging and going into isolation. However, today 10 days from the December 21 Solstice, I’m committing to practice at least a few minutes of emptiness consciously and intentionally every day.
I want to deepen my experience of what emerges from my unique ‘mirror of the universe’. That is the blank screen/canvas/soup pot from which I begin. What about you?
Experiment for the Week: Take a few moments of quiet each day to let go of the noise and fullness of life. How does it feel? What possibilities emerge?