Today’s Word: Discovery
These four syllables have so much attached to them! There’s the initial thrill of learning something new, of finding an idea or piece of information that changes your thinking and way of being in the world; the excitement of, just for a moment, feeling the infinite nature of the universe in your own being.
The blessing—and the challenge—of discovery is that we simply cannot remain the same person, doing the same things, living the same life as before we made the discovery. We are intoxicated by the possibilities and promise of what we have learned, but putting it into practice can be a long, slow process of internal transformation and external change, neither of which go quite as we planned, or as quickly as we hoped.
Discovery can also have a dark side—we discover something about ourselves that we don’t want to admit, or we discover something about another person that radically changes our feelings and opinion of them. The spark in the darkness is that, having made this realization about our character, we can decide what (if anything) to do about it. When we learn something difficult about another person, that, too, gives us an opportunity to reflect on our own behavior and beliefs, and make adjustments as needed.
Keep in mind the words of André Gide: One doesn’t discover new lands without consenting to lose sight, for a very long time, of the shore.
Trust yourself, trust your process, and keep going.
May your discoveries bring you joy, healing, and growth!
Discovery
