Ikigai Thought for Today: Place of Potential
Embracing the grand design
Audio narration by David Marlow
We are all philosophers in the end, or so I’ve been told.
It seems more accurate to me with each passing day.
In my life, I’ve ‘been’ many things. A radio deejay, U.S. Marine, engineer, executive, youth sports coach, son, brother, husband, father, and grandfather.
Philosopher sits well with me as a new thing to ‘be’ while being.
Something I read from Stacy Gleiss, the self-proclaimed ‘Six Foot Bonsai,’ expressed an idea that has stuck with me for years since I first read it.
“I see the world as a tapestry of man-made systems that fall short of the grand design but as a place with tremendous potential if we open our minds to that which we cannot readily see. I am an analyst by title; a philosopher in fact.”
Stacy Gleiss
There is an ideal, a dream, a grand design. Most things and systems made by humans fall short of that intention.
Yet there is beauty and potential in this place humans call home if we are open and willing to see and hear what is not easily seen or heard.
That, of course, sounds more like philospher than an engineer.
👏👏👏David Marlow...I don't know why...maybe it's because I've been dreaming of the garden I'm putting in the (currently styling a ground zero w/ grass vibe) backyard...but I immediately thought of the civil engineer...fused w/ revolutionary gardener that is Mel Bartholomew:
https://youtu.be/gucAOaQviWc .......SIMPLY seeing the imagery & title of this piece!
AND even more so while reading it...in addition to the Three Sisters' Gardening Design taught to me through Robin Wall Kimmerer in Braiding Sweetgrass:
https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/
ON Jane Goodall's 90th birthday 🥳of all days, you ninja! 🥷
https://news.janegoodall.org/2021/05/11/dr-goodalls-new-book-book-of-hope-provides-hope-in-2021/
In conclusion, I'm most reminded of the most moving creation I've encountered to date...of yours...on the subject of trees...w/ a Ram Dass link!
https://open.substack.com/pub/ikiquest/p/marlows-musings-11424?r=1xmhh9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Happy Transcend Our Self-Limiting Beliefs & Behaviors Tuesday! 💃
I see life as a tapestry. Only we are currently on the back side, where everything is knots and cut ends. The beauty comes when we finally reach the other side.