I was reading about the sage in Mexico Valley, about how an entire field is actually a single plant and works together as a single plant. It appears that there are many bushes in the valley, yet hidden from the eye beneath the earth the roots are all connected. The experience of one part of this sage plant is shared to some degree by all the other parts of the plant.
The full sage plant has the power to change the acidity of the soil in a way that assures its survival, and in doing the sage provides us humans with some of the oxygen that we need for our survival.
I was struck by the fact that what I saw with my eyes at first glance missed an essential reality about the sage plant. When I grasped that, my mind quickly moved on to considering that all people on Earth are connected in a similar way. What we do in our lives has an effect and influence on others, even though we tend to believe that we are separate from one another with whatever we are experiencing.
At times I want to start worrying about everyday details of my life. Like all of us, there are plans to make, family to consider, and bills to pay. But then I remind myself that I am part of a bigger whole, the human community. My mind calms down when I remember that reality.
Just as the sage does, each of us has the power individually and collectively to change the world, and to find support in the world. Is there a need to choose worry and sadness? I don’t think so.
I feel both more empowered and more at peace when I see myself as part of the larger human community. I enjoy the reality that each of us is full of connection to and from others, although sometimes we need to choose which connections to emphasize in life so we receive enough support for our growth.
Let’s try thinking and acting with awareness of our connectedness. For me, such an awareness feels more fulfilled and less prone to anxiety than seeing myself as isolated, which is not even a reality.
What do you think?
