The time for seeking is over; the time for finding has begun . . .
. . .I look out at everything growing so wild and faithfully beneath the sky and wonder why we are the one terrible part of creation privileged to refuse our flowering . . . (David Whyte)
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? (Mary Oliver)
The following story was told to me by the wisest woman I ever knew, an old Swiss woman who lived high in the mountains near Zurich. I share it with you just as she told it to me.
News from the Borderland
In ancient China the emperor’s troops had conquered a province that was so remote that nobody knew anything about it. But the emperor wanted to know what he owned. So he called for the most famous painter of all and sent him to that province with the task of painting whatever there was to see. For a long while nobody heard from the painter and the emperor sent word that he was expecting his return. Finally the painter arrived — without any baggage at all! The emperor was terribly disappointed. “Where are your paintings?” he asked.
“Where do you have a white wall?” was the answer. A huge white wall was soon found and the emperor, surrounded by the whole court, sat expectantly in front of it. Then the painter started his work and under the strokes of his brush arose a landscape with mountains and lakes, meadows and deserts, cities, highly walled, and windswept tents. There were trees and shrubs and flowers and animals of all sorts, and strangely dressed humans, working, loving, warring, dying and begetting, old people, and children playing. Many paths lead through this province. They were full of carts and people wandering from one place to another. The emperor and the whole court marveled. What a fabulous province. Secretly all wished to be there. The main road led right through the middle of this province, and now the painter turned his back to the spectators and slowly started to walk it. As he walked deeper into the picture, the foreground rolled up and vanished. The painter continued walking, taking with him mountains and lakes, trees, animals, and people. Then he too was gone. And the emperor and court were again looking at a blank white wall.
There always comes a time for each of us to realize that the time for seeking is over, and the time for finding has begun. When this happens, we have to give up our hope, our belief that someone else is going to show us the way, or do the growing work for us. Just as the painter in the story invited the king and his court to do as he walked into his painting and took it with him, each of us have to take the responsibility for our lives.
As we make choices, no matter how small, each of our personal lives is being created; certain futures are being invited and others are being erased by those choices. Choices can sometimes be difficult to make, but if we pay attention, “teachers” are everywhere, pointing us to the unlived portion of our lives.
We each have one precious life to live. Live it fully, whatever that might mean for you!