“No mud, no lotus” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

The lotus flower has a life cycle like no other: each night it drops back into the river water and arises again renewed and sparkling in the morning sun. Its stems are tough, strong, and submerged deep into the dark, rich mud. It is a symbol of feminine resilience and wisdom, regardless of gender.

The lotus flower signals to us that without the slime and the muck of our everyday life there’d be no renewal. It reminds us that everything in our life no matter how messy, awful or dark is fertile ground for our growth. No exceptions! We like to divide our life up into the “good” parts and reject the “bad” parts. No one volunteers for suffering or difficulties but consider for yourself when you’ve done the most growing in your life, probably through some of your biggest challenges: no mud, no lotus.

You are not obliged to be beautiful
You don’t have to shine.
Blooming will happen when it happens.
If you can be still for a moment
you might notice that
the roots that feed you
are still reaching silently through the dark.
~Lynn Ungar

It’s not really what happens to us…
rather, it’s about how we meet our circumstances that offers the possibility of change, real change. We may have to muck about, just like that tough lotus stem in the mud but as the inspiring poem above suggests, “if you can be still for a moment, you might notice the roots that feed you are still reaching silently through the dark.” In this New Year, may your roots grow deep and your lovely face turn toward the sun each day with anticipation.