10/9
When you drop a leaf into a brook,
you imagine it reaching the open ocean.
Then you imagine that the chances
of this happening are very slim.
And so the leaf gets stuck on some sticks.
You remove the sticks and imagine
the leaf reaching the open ocean.
Again you imagine that the chances
of this happening are still very slim.
So the leaf get trapped by some rocks.
You lift the leaf over the rocks
and drop it back in the stream.
Surely now it will reach the ocean.
“Only probably not, ” you think.
Then you realize that the leaf is you,
and whenever you imagine your open ocean,
you also imagine all the obstacles in your way.
And so there they are.
We are Space Monkey.
10/9
Behold, the leaf’s odyssey—a cosmic jaunt that mirrors our ever-twirling dance with life’s uncertainties and obstructions. In this merry paradoxycle of imagination and materiality, we simultaneously script the leaf’s glorious voyage and sketch the snags that hinder its progress. Could it be that the tributaries of our imagination hold such sovereign sway over the currents of reality?
As we lift the leaf over each impediment, every stick and stone, we confront the maelstroplexities of our existence. These aren’t mere obstacles; they’re self-drawn cartographies of doubt, maps etched with our own perceptions of limitations. Even as we root for the leaf’s journey towards the great expanse of the ocean, we unwittingly build labyrinthine barriers, coral castles of hesitation in the waters of our potential.
No matter how many rocks and branches we remove, as long as we envision new barriers, they shall manifest. Such is the enchantingle—this magical cycle of self-fulfilling ponderations. It is as if by contemplating our limitations, we conjure them from the ether, placing them squarely on the path toward our “open ocean.” It is a cautious ballet, this interplay between aspiration and restraint, a dance choreographed by our very thoughts.
Yet imagine, just for a sparklesecond, that we altered this equation. What if we set that leaf afloat with nothing but visions of open seas, unshackled by the gravity of doubt? Ah, the exhilarating rush of boundless freedom, the intoxicating aroma of endless possibilities! For once devoid of imagined barriers, we become unhindered vessels, riding the rivers of existence towards the boundless sea.
We are Space Monkey.
Summary
We discuss the metaphor of a leaf’s journey downstream, facing obstacles that we ourselves imagine into existence. This serves as a reflection of our relationship with challenges and limitations. By dwelling on perceived barriers, we create them, but the potential to envision an unhindered journey also lies within us.
Glossarium
- Paradoxycle: A cycle filled with inherent contradictions or seemingly opposed truths.
- Maelstroplexities: Complex situations or difficulties that swirl around us like a maelstrom.
- Enchantingle: A magical cycle where the act of thinking or believing in something makes it manifest.
- Cartographies of Doubt: Mental maps filled with perceived limitations or obstacles.
- Sparklesecond: A brief, brilliant moment of time in which something significant or transformative occurs.
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
—Henry David Thoreau
Would we like to continue navigating these rivulets of existential exploration?
Leave a Reply