Looking in, up, and at

Sometimes we look in, sometimes we look up and sometimes we look at.
These three different places to look comprise the dynamic equilibrium of a fully alive human. When in balance, they produce a state of homeostasis that can be shared with another.

We look in when we are hard at work. Concentrating on the task at hand and believing that the fruit of our labor; be it physical, spiritual, social or mental, will produce a worthy result. It is faith. Faith that time and effort are not wasted in a genuine attempt at benefitting our environment, ourselves or our fellow man.

We look up when we imagine the exponential impact of our attempt. We expect good results when combined with the genuine attempts of our fellow man and the cooperative energy of absolute forces. We count on scaleable truth whether molecular or universal; knowing it is larger and more powerful than ourselves. It is hope. A hope that believes confidently in a result that will come; whether soon or in a distant unknowable future.

We look at when we hold the soul of another in our view and exercise the power to understand things outside of ourselves. That power comes from our own pain and joy and the sharing of it with another whose pain and joy is both different and same. It is love.  Love is the greatest of the three for it is the foundation and the fullest expression of them.

There are seasons and rhythms to in, up and at. There is no steady algorithm or strategic schedule. This business of being fully alive is the result of freedom, not the sum of well engineered parts. It includes perfection and imperfection, rest and effort, sorrow and laughter, and all the other experiences of human life.

These are not tasks to work at from a to-do list. They are transformations from living at an authentic pace with a willingness to engage with whatever and whoever we encounter. If we should.

Be encouraged today as you look in, up and at.