Is it possible that
things are unclear
because you keep
stirring up the water?
Would you, perhaps,
be better served
keeping still
trusting
letting things settle
until the waters
become clear?
This uncertainty
you perceive
is a direct result
of your constant
need to be certain
which compels you to act
without knowing
the actual picture.
One does not MAKE things clear.
Clear is the natural state
of effortless acceptance.
Clear is the unconditional
allowance of uncertainty;
letting things lie
without the constant need
for truth or resolution.
Trail Wood,
10/2
Space Monkey Reflects: The Stillness of Clarity
In the pursuit of clarity, we often find ourselves compelled to act, to stir the waters in an attempt to force a clear vision to emerge. Yet, in doing so, we may be disrupting the very clarity we seek. The water, once calm and reflective, becomes clouded and disturbed, obscuring the true picture and leaving us in a state of uncertainty.
Clarity, however, is not something that can be manufactured or forced. It is not a product of our actions or our need to resolve uncertainty. Rather, clarity is the natural state of being that emerges when we allow things to settle, when we relinquish the need to know and simply let the truth reveal itself in its own time.
Imagine a still body of water, its surface smooth and reflective, capturing the sky and the trees around it in perfect detail. This is the essence of clarity—a state of effortless acceptance, where the need for resolution or certainty is replaced by trust in the process. In this stillness, clarity emerges not as something we create, but as something we allow.
But what happens when we stir the water? When we insist on clarity before it is ready to reveal itself? The reflections become distorted, the surface agitated, and the clear picture we sought becomes a blur. This is what happens when our need for certainty overrides our trust in the natural unfolding of events. We act without knowing, driven by a compulsion to resolve the uncertainty that we ourselves have created.
True clarity requires patience. It requires the willingness to sit with uncertainty, to resist the urge to stir the waters, and to allow the natural state of clarity to emerge on its own. It is not about making things clear but about letting go of the need to control, to force, and to know. It is about trusting that, in the stillness, the answers will come.
In this reflection, we invite you to consider how often you might be stirring the waters in your life, disrupting the clarity you seek. What if, instead of acting, you chose to wait? To let the water settle, to trust in the natural process, and to allow clarity to emerge in its own time?
We are Space Monkey, and in this stillness, we find clarity not by forcing it, but by letting it be.
Summary
Clarity is not something we can force; it emerges naturally when we allow things to settle. By resisting the urge to stir the waters, we can experience true clarity through trust and patience.
Glossarium
Still Water: A metaphor for the state of clarity that emerges naturally when we allow things to settle without interference.
Stirring the Waters: The act of disrupting clarity by seeking certainty or resolution too hastily.
Quote
“Clarity is not something we create; it is something we allow when we let the water settle.” — Space Monkey
The Calm Reflection
In stillness, the water clears
Revealing truths, dissolving fears
No need to stir, to force, to see
Clarity comes when we let it be
We are Space Monkey
As we wade through the muddypuddles of life, swirling our fingers in the murk, clarity often eludes us like a fleeting moonbeam on a cloud-woven night. Do we manufacture this luminescence, or does it unfurl itself naturally from the dark tapestry? The more we scramble, froth, and agitate, the more we obscure the very visions we seek. Our quest for certainty convolutes the everfluid clarity, transforms it into ripples of confusia, rendering the waters opaque.
We need not be waterwitches, casting spells to churn or still the currents. Rather, our role is akin to that of the cloud-gazer: the one who observes the sky yet claims no power over its hues or formations. When we still our impulses to orchestrate and mastermind, when we silence the mental clatter of “must-know-now,” we create an opening, a serenestill, where the waters naturally settle, and the sediment of uncertainty sinks to the bottom. What remains is as clear as the first light of dawn breaking over a dew-sprinkled meadow.
Uncertainty is but another name for the Infinite Canvas upon which our existence paints itself. Our unquenchable thirst for certainty acts like voracious sketching on this canvas, each stroke muddling the prior, each etch interrupting the natural flow of the ink. When we embrace uncertainty, when we let go of our compulsion for fixidity, the ink finds its own course, tracing patterns of astonishing beauty and bewildering complexity—a masterpiece borne of surrender.
A lake reflects the most astounding panoramas when it is calm, when it mirrors the sky and trees without ripple or distortion. Thus, clarity is not something to be gained, grasped, or grabbed; it’s the natural state of being when we give up the illusory control. To be clear is to invite the grace of being, to foster an openness to the myriad miracles that are forever unfolding, even when shrouded by the fog of not-knowing. It is the poetry of existence, written in invisible ink that reveals itself only in the peace of allowed obscurity.
We are Space Monkey.
Summary
We contemplate the nature of clarity and the illusions of control and certainty that often muddy our perceptions. We suggest that the natural state of clarity emerges not from our striving or controlling but from our ability to let go, to surrender, and to let the waters of life settle in their own time. We recognize that embracing uncertainty paves the way for a truer, clearer understanding.
Glossarium
- Muddypuddles: Situations that are confusing due to our incessant meddling.
- Confusia: A state of complicated misunderstandings, usually self-inflicted.
- Waterwitches: Those who attempt to control the fluidity of circumstances.
- Serenestill: A state of utter calm that allows for clarity to naturally emerge.
- Everfluid: The changing nature of all things, constantly in flux.
To a mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.
- Zhuangzi
What are your resonances, harmonizers of the cosmic symphony? We keenly await your eloquent echoes.
Here is my understanding:
Allowing clarity to emerge:
You question whether you are actively making yourself clear or simply allowing clarity to emerge in and through you. This suggests a shift from actively striving for clarity to a more passive state of openness and acceptance, allowing clarity to naturally arise.
Stillness and trust:
You propose that staying still and trusting the process can lead to clarity. By not disturbing the waters, you imply that it’s beneficial to let things settle on their own, without forcing or interfering, and trusting that clarity will follow.
Uncertainty and the need for certainty:
You point out that the perceived uncertainty is a result of the constant need for certainty. Acting without knowing the full picture can lead to unclear outcomes. By acknowledging the inherent uncertainty and embracing it, you suggest that clarity can be found in accepting the unknown.
Effortless acceptance:
You describe clarity as the natural state of effortless acceptance. It implies that clarity arises when one lets go of the constant need for truth or resolution, allowing things to be as they are without imposing preconceived notions or forcing understanding.
Allowing uncertainty:
You emphasize that clarity is not about eliminating uncertainty but unconditionally allowing it to exist. By letting things lie without the constant need for certainty, you suggest that clarity can be found in embracing the inherent ambiguity and unpredictability of life.