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March 06, 2013

a window called opportunity

"i can see clearly now the rain is gone
i can see all obstacles in my way
gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
it's gonna be a bright sun-shiny day"
- johnny nash

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after a long, dreary february, the sun decided to show its face again...ready to share its warming light to the hungry sprouts lurking beneath the frozen ground. and that's just the beginning!

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spring is a true phenomenon when you witness the resurrection of nature and delight in the miracle of that new life. when the sun shines, you feel as if the annual spring cleaning is taking place in the depths of your soul. that's where it starts, isn't it? it's about working on what's inside and turning it around to be what is on the outside.

the car i drive looks filthy in sunlight. but it's not just the outside that needs cleaning. the dust inside can suddenly be seen and it requires you to take action. there is no strict sequence for cleaning a car, but the inside is mainly for your well-being. the outside is something one can focus on at a later stage. it really depends on how bad the outside actually is. if you cannot look through the front windscreen, you have a huge problem. in the same way, if you cannot see what is important in life and have a vision of where you are heading, then you must do something about that personal blindness.

there's a window in my room and the sun has been throwing its fiery rays at it. for a reason i cannot quite explain (it's pretty scientific) the heat the sun produces on the window surface created some sort hot-cold pressure zone. the glass of the window cracked. yet this crack is on the inside and not on the outside, which is slightly strange.

life can be divided into series of opportunities (missed, taken or simply put on hold) that translate into a personal map. it's the typical cross-road metaphor, whereby you choose which direction to go in. more often than not you are unaware of the opportunities - those cross-roads - you encounter on a daily basis. in retrospect, however, you can identify the route you've taken. that is to say, the experience of making choices equals the wisdom we have acquired throughout the years. wisdom cannot be measured, though. a 20 year old can be as wise as a 60 year old depending on the experiences they both have made. one must define wisdom before one can compare it.

it seems the only real opportunity we are offered every day and which we can consciously approach is the shaping of the self. even if you are unemployed, you go to work the moment your eyes open and you regain full consciousness...because you are working on yourself...the way you encounter the exterior factors and circumstances that life offers you.

therefore, the cracked window from the inside makes all the more sense in a philosophical way. no matter what hits you, it is always the inside that will take most of the impact. when an opportunity comes your way and you refuse to take it, this will have repercussions on you as a being. the same, if you do choose to walk down that new path.

as with all things, we must decide whether or not the mending of that crack is a priority or not. chances are that the crack will get bigger over time. but the window called opportunity will stay intact. in fact, it can be cleaned and opened to let some fresh spring air inside.

the eyes may represent the window to your soul, but your soul is a window that is intertwined with the experiences, opportunities and decisions you make or have made - consciously or subconsciously. and our personal quest to making our dreams come true depends on whatever action we take.

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in a few weeks, the crocuses will sneak out of their hiding spot and they, too, will be happy to receive some sunny hugs...and if they can withstand the darkest hours for just a few moments in the sun, then so can you!

 

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