Becoming – unfolding like a flower

by Nicholas Stratas

There have been many words used to understand ourselves. Words to sort through the past to “free” us up from it. Words for the future to provide “plans” for to where and how we proceed. Each with a number of variations to explain. Sometimes with considerable polemics about one being more “right” than the other. Frequently what gets lost in these words is – the present, our becoming.

While we live in the present. The past is, in fact always with us. Every experience is at some level part of us now. The future is within us. There are not “bad” and “good” happenings. All events together contrive to put us where we are at this moment. When we are grateful for today we are grateful for everything which has been and will be. The future is, in fact, always within us if we stay connected to our insides, our depths, our internal GPS, our energy, our spirit, call it what we may. We are in fact unfolding like the flowers. We are constantly “in process”. We are constantly becoming. Yes, like the flowers in an overwhelming storm or in a dry spell, our becoming, our journey, may be affected by the happenings unfolding in the universe with which we interact.

While this may seem like word play the words we use have significant effect on ourselves, on our own being, how we experience and see ourselves. When one is thankful for today, one is thankful for all. Thankful for all events which are “in the past”. Thankful for all events “in the future”. It is grist for the mill as to whether removing any one of our events would make a difference as to whether we are being here  and now and grateful for it. For “becoming”.

We may say however there are events which are “bad”. We have been taught to view very difficult times as “bad”. We have been taught very easy times as “good”. Living is work – always. Sometimes easy and sometimes hard. Inattention to ourselves in the present as we are becoming opens us up to happenings which may affect our becoming. Attention to ourselves in the present, however difficult or easy, promotes our becoming to our fullest being.