Your life is a living poem
Did you know that you are a symbol? And that everything you notice or experience is symbolic?
You’re able to read this article because a combination of curly and straight lines symbolises words. You understand what your friend is saying because the sounds she makes symbolise language. You can calculate the tax you owe because the ancient Greeks invented the symbolism of mathematics.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines a symbol as a sign, shape, or object that is used to represent something else. Some symbols are almost universal.
· A dove symbolises peace.
· A lion symbolises strength.
· A sunrise symbolises hope.
· A road sign picturing a knife and fork means food is available a few kilometres down the highway. (In other words, 'Hang in there!')
I look around at ordinary objects I see every day. Rocks, windows, water tanks, roses. Everything I see represents concepts that add depth to their presence. To me a rock is a symbol of stability; windows symbolise a widening of my vision; water tanks symbolise the importance of holding what is precious; roses symbolise freely offering beauty and fragrance to the world.
Your name is a symbol of you. A selfie is a symbol of you. Your hairstyle, clothing, and the colour you paint your fingernails symbolise what you want to express.
The ground you walk on symbolises physical support; the sky over your head symbolises the unknown; rivers symbolise the ceaseless flow of all things.
Sunrises and sunsets are symbols of birth and death. Like the sun, we come, we trace a path through our days, and we go.
Wind on your face symbolises change. Ocean waves symbolise inevitability. Glaring sunshine in your eyes could symbolise truth you’re not ready to receive.
Living with Mindfulness
What you symbolise adds depth to your presence.
Every moment, every action, every thought, every breath you take, is a symbol.
Everything is what it is, plus what it symbolises.
When you sense the symbolism of everything, your life becomes a living poem.
And you realise, at your deepest level, that you symbolise Oneness.
With love, Marlane
Original version published on Medium.com/Illumination