The ocean

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Throughout my life I have experienced no greater feeling of oneness ~ and at the same time of being so small ~ as when I am walking on the ocean’s rim. Hearing the sound of the waves crashing onto the shores, and seeing the water as far as the eye can see… It is like Rumi said:
“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.”

On top of that there is an awareness of ever continuing movement and flow; there is a rhythm to the ocean. The one very thing the ocean doesn’t do ~ something us humans seem to be very good at ~ is to stand still. Even when the ocean is at rest, for instance in that tiny moment when the tides turn, there is still movement.
The waves and the undercurrents. The surface, calm and even-tempered, or swept up in to frothy, angry sharp-headed waves. Whatever its mood, whatever the weather; there is always movement.

And when the movement stops as the wave has rolled onto shore, it then simply retracts to join the ocean once more. No regrets over things that once have been, things that could have been, or things that never were. The wave stops, regroups, and brings its experience of the shore back to the ocean. And then moves on.

As people we are more focused on our individuality. We seem to have lost the sense of belonging, the feeling of oneness ~ not just with other people, but with everything around us. Therefore, as soon as we feel we have reached a position that makes us feel good about ourselves and about our lives, we almost immediately start to hold on to that. To cement it; build walls around it. Sometimes we are even willing to go into extremes if only we can hold on to what we have gained in life. What we have accomplished.
What we fail to realize is that the moment we decide to stop moving and flowing with all that is around us, we may deprive ourselves from unfolding even greater things in our lives. We may be holding ourselves back from reaching even greater heights, more wonderful adventures ~ perhaps even from being all that we can be. (Which often is a whole lot more than we could ever imagine.)

Looking at the ocean, it seems to be a good bet that as long as we keep moving ~ permitting the universe to be our guide ~ we are giving ourselves the best chance to raise up to do great things.

After all, “You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.”
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