Just the presence of enthusiastic playmates with curious minds and a sense of wonder for a complex ecosystem resulting from millions of years of evolution.
Looking back upon my tadpole research, I recognize the valuable modeling of how to live in an ever changing world.
Complex personal, societal, and global challenges requires us, like the tadpole, to grow legs, learn to breathe through change, climb out of our comfort zone, and skillfully navigate new terrain. The combination of outer turmoil and inner evolutionary pulsing invites the potential to adapt skillfully. As adults, we rely upon learned experience, cognitive problem solving, and well honed defense mechanisms to move through adversity.
Yet, the inner curious child scientist suggests a different approach.
Letting go the mind, we might breathe deeply, drop into (onto) our belly, and reconnect with the rhythm of our essential nature. Relaxed and open, we’re free to gaze into the murky situation. Seeking subtle clues which offer a broader understanding of the potential for transformation. From this vantage point, we may recognize that we are swimming in the evolutionary stream of life.
What began millions of years ago is unfolding through us, inviting the next phase of becoming.
What was once perceived as a problem may be welcomed as a necessary phase of our own evolution. Broadening our vision, we recognize that so many others, seen and unseen, have prepared the environment for our growth and cleared the way for our move into new territory.
Welcoming support makes sense as no one travels alone on the journey of life.
Swim. Climb. Leap.
My love affair with tadpoles taught me how every phase of development has value. That it is important to look beneath the surface, engage a sense of childlike wonder, and enlist playmates to make life’s journey more enjoyable.
This story also appears in Natural Awakenings Magazine, South Jersey and Philadelphia additions.
