I am naturally drawn to nature. If you want to learn anything about life, study the home the Divine created for us. One of the most beautiful things to witness is its constant state of renewal and adaptation. The organisms that have lived out their purpose melt into the ground leaving the best of themselves in the soil for the next life to come along and gobble up the treasure. Nothing is wasted. What is not good to pass along to the next generation forces adaptation. Species adjust to their environment to become stronger and more tolerant of what’s going on in the world around them. It’s amazing to consider what nature continues to show us every day. If only we’d stop, look and listen.

Seeds of light come in all different packages. When someone treats us with love or kindness that seed of love could be just the thing we need to direct us toward the light or help us hold on until the wind dies down. Plant those seeds right back into the ground and pray for sunshine and rain so those plants grow exponentially. But what about those seeds that require advanced horticultural skills? Some seeds of light hit us like laser beams. They are words, actions or situations that demand we adapt to new ways and be directed by our own decision-making instead of at the whim of our environment. I would rather be a hearty sunflower than a tumbleweed blown around by the wind of others just bouncing off of the same rocks. These seeds force us to look at our garden, clear out the rocks and weed it to make room for new growth. These seeds can push us to reconsider how we do things. These seeds of light demand attention so they can grow into new ideas or new ways of living. You get dirty working with these seeds because when we grow from pain, it often requires some serious digging.

Pain is a seed of light and our pain can drive us to grow beautiful things. The light pushes us to make positive changes that benefits us as a species. Even when fire demolishes forests, new growth is fueled by all the ashes. When these seeds of light hit us, it is usually a wake up call. It’s a call that usually screams, “Ask for help”, “Let this decompose” and “Buckle up and get ready for new growth”. These seeds can do things like drive us to become more self-aware about what we need to flourish. As we become more aware we are able to healthfully adapt to our environment. We know how to reach towards the light, drop leaves that don’t serve us and learn better ways to weather the storms.

If we don’t adapt and grow, we will feel left behind, lonely and stagnant. That is not nature’s way. Pain is a seed of light that can drive us to grow beautiful things. Love is a seed of light too that when planted, shines brighter than the sun. Plant all the seeds that come from the light. Say kind things, apologize, comfort and have those conversations that can hurt sometimes. Not all seeds are easy to grow and take time. Sometimes the soil is rocky and the weeds can be tough to manage but if you fertilize these new seeds with love, self-awareness and patience, you’re garden will always be growing. Tend your garden with loving kindness for yourself and all the flowers around you. Bloom my friend.

Questions/activities to ponder or good journal prompts!

1. Recall a time when you were in an “environment” or a time in your life that caused great discomfort. How did you adapt? Was it a healthy form of adaptation?
2. Have you ever considered pain “a seed of light”? Do you see this “seed of light” as a nudge from the Divine? Why or why not?
3. Lately, have you been a hearty sunflower moving towards the light or a tumbleweed? What does is feel like to not be a part of your own decision-making?
4. What “leaves” do you need to drop and why?
5. “Pain can drive us to do beautiful things”. What does this statement mean to you?