"We often look but don't see until something shifts how we experience the world. Then, the basic habit of our understanding is altered; shattered or expanded, broken apart or open, turned upside down or reduced to the beginning. We call this a paradigm shift. We dread and yet need these unexpected moments to return us to the hidden wholeness in which all things are connected. " Mark Nepo, As Far As the Heart Can See
I've always loved the way travel forces a paradigm shift. When I'm adrift in an unknown language, unfamiliar customs and trying to figure out how to do something basic like find a bathroom, I'm teetering on my own ability to change the way I understand the world. When I'm in a world that forces me to make changes, I am freed of any conception that the way I understand the world makes any difference at all, and in that moment I have been changed in a fundamental way that can't be unchanged, and I'm more whole within myself.
Baruch ata adonai...thank you for creating in me the ability to be curious and adventurous in my life. As I get older, I'm often less willing to challenge the way I see the world and especially the possibilities I see for myself. I don't need or want to have my world turned upside down, but if it happens, please hold my hand and remind me I have everything it takes to move on. Amen
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