I was taken by a beautiful image described in a recent post on Behold The Stars

The lotus begins in the mud, grows through the pond’s muddy water, and breaks the surface to produce a clean and beautiful flower. It grows beautiful despite its surroundings, despite its muddy beginnings. One of the most beautiful Buddhist symbols, the lotus represents a way to approach our lives. Like the lotus, we can rise above our environment to find peace and happiness.

It is a spectacular thing when I see the lotus growing in the souls of people. You often see it in young children who are living in conditions many would perceive as abject poverty. And yet I see no poverty in their spirit, just small kids with huge smiles on their faces, running, playing, laughing carefree, as if nobody has yet taught them that they should be miserable in such seemingly dire circumstances.

In fact these children are the ones who should do the teaching, for they do not limit their joy by the amount of mud they see around them. Oh, the old are wise, but for each dose of wisdom can come two doses of limiting beliefs, beliefs that can cause a wealthy corporate lawyer to sulk in misery because things at work didn’t go his way while poverty-stricken youth have the time of their lives playing with sticks and an old shoe.

My happiest moments are when I let my fears, anxiety, and expectations go, and simply live, accepting the circumstances around me as they are. And perhaps more importantly, accepting myself as I really am. But more than just accepting myself and my circumstances, I strive to be grateful for everything I’ve been handed, and see joy in the things other people take for granted. I believe that is part of the lesson the lotus can teach us, to not wait until conditions are perfect before attempting to grow, but to accept things as they are, to see in things the beauty other people don’t see, and to choose to prosper and grow in the blessed place you were given.