think of a flower

Being
Unknown

Think of a flower,
growing in the ground.
Think of the roots that anchor it,
that bring up nourishment.
Think of how it grows
without a thought of serving others.
It does not worry of tomorrow.
It does not think of yesterday.

It does not compare itself
to the other flowers,
to the grass,
to the sunshine, or
to the animals that share its earth.
It simply grows
with great dignity and power,
in its own way, at its own pace.

It blossoms for itself,
and yet the beauty that it brings
contributes to the great beauty of the whole planet.
It can be enjoyed by many
or seen by none,
and this does not diminish its beauty,
or its power,
or its strength.

And when it finishes its cycle,
it dries and withers.
Still there is no fear.
There is no worry.
There is no regret.
And in no time,
it begins the upward progress again
to a new blossom.

This week I received this beautiful poem from my new friend, Maria Gonzalez, best-selling author of Mindful Leadership, who recently joined me and my colleagues for the 2nd Annual Mindfulness@IBM Summit on 4/26.  She saw it on the wall of a Hospice facility, next to the Roof Top Garden. It is a beautiful invitation to awareness, awakening, surrender and openness. Among the words, may you find a beautiful seed to flower your day.

If you know the author of this beautiful piece, please let me know!

 

Learn more about Mindfulness@IBM.

* I took this photo on the roadside of a morning run near the J&J Ranch in  Rothbury, Michigan.