There’s a thread you follow. It goes among
things that change. But it doesn’t change.
People wonder about what you are pursuing.
You have to explain about the thread.
But it is hard for others to see.
While you hold it you can’t get lost.
Tragedies happen; people get hurt
or die; and you suffer and get old.
Nothing you do can stop time’s unfolding.
You don’t ever let go of the thread.
by William Stafford
This poem is quite a well-known classic in my mind, and was chosen as one of the 100 Essential Poems of the very prolific William Stafford. I was surprised recently to find that I hadn’t shared it here yet, high time to do so!
And I’m curious, what is this thread for you? What do you hold on to, what do you follow to keep you from getting lost? Sometimes the breath can be the outer manifestation of that thread as it weaves the moments together, but a deeper version of the thread may be what brings you to come back to the breath and this moment rather than staying lost in story-thoughts. And part of what gets you to the cushion or chair for practising, may be the thread of meaning and purpose in how you live your life…
As I grow older, I love discovering how this meaning can change and deepen over time. Equally, I know it can get clouded over or feel lost or inaccessible in the thick of things, but then it can also be found again with fresh truthfulness. Friedrich Nietzsche has an interesting view on meaning, and Viktor Frankl very much agreed with this: that “those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.” Which makes a strong case for becoming very clear on your own ‘why’, your own thread, and finding ways to reaffirm this.
This is why, towards the end of the Level 1 – being present course, we reflect on our values, on what’s important for how we live our life and explore our internal compass and what it’s set to. And from there, step by step and moment by moment, we can grow in that direction… and how wonderful to do this, supported by fellow practitioners!
PS If you want to connect more deeply to your own thread and what’s important in your life, you may also want to explore the Living Well to Die Well course…
Photo by Anand Thakur on Unsplash