Pearls of Wisdom

It is a well known fact of nature that the birth of a pearl begins with a very small irritation, commonly a parasite, that invades the inside of an oyster. In response to this irritation, the oyster then secretes a substance, nacre, the same material of which the oyster shell is composed. Layer by layer this irritation is covered thereby removing the possible harm that could be incurred by the organism as a whole. A natural alchemy occurs and something that initially was a dangerous invasive element, through the wisdom of nature, is transformed into a radiant, precious gemstone of great beauty and enormous value. This process does not happen overnight. It takes time and consistency.

So why do I point your attention to this phenomenon at this moment in time? I guess because in my world view, nature is one of the greatest teachers that we have. In every moment, if we have ears to hear and eyes to see, the lessons and teachings are abundant.

Right now, we are like the oyster. A very small, yet dangerous virus has made its way into the center of our shell. For some of us it has actually entered our body but for all of us, whether it is in our body or not, it has gotten into the center of our lives, our comfortable shells. For many of us, the presence of this virus and the cascade of events that have come to pass has activated, what, in my mind, is the even more lethal germ, fear . Many, if not most of us are experiencing right now some of the deepest held fears and anxieties that live in our psyches. And what will be the response to this seeming ”invasion”? Just as the oyster’s native intelligence responds by inactivating the intruder, we, too, can apply our wisdom to transform this dangerous situation into a beautiful jewel of great value.

And just like the nacre of the oyster, we don’t have to go looking outside of ourselves for the antidote and cure. We can use the inherent qualities of the human heart to lay down layers of kindness, patience, tolerance, compassion, generosity and love in order to alchemize the fear, the anxiety, the uncertainty. We all have this capacity. We don’t have to look outside for something we think we may be lacking. Let kindness be the coating that dismantles our fear, that renders it inactive. Let compassion for self and other wrap your fears in a blanket of love. And slowly, day be day, week by week, you will discover the jewel that is the direct result of this process of transformation, your precious human heart.