Do you remember the Magic Eye illusions? If you look at the picture below, you may not see anything unusual at first. But if you focus beyond the picture, a deeper pattern emerges (if you see it, leave a comment).
It hit me recently that this is a lot like our experience of life. On the surface, it seems like life is “out there,” outside of us. That the circumstances of our lives create our experience, and determine our happiness.
But the only way we can experience life is internally. Our sense organs and brains constantly take inputs and create an experience. Each of us has our own experience, uniquely flavored by our prior experiences and our current feelings.
At the same time, I really don’t seem to be in control of the experience that shows up. Like the weather, it constantly changes. When I’m feeling bad, I have a bad experience. But if I wait, if I allow things to settle, I seem to have a default setting toward a better experience. And toward a deeper wisdom coming through.
There is something that is incredibly freeing about this. That we don’t have to figure everything out. That we have access to a deeper wisdom if we only allow space for it.
What can you let get better, just by leaving it alone?