My
Own Footprint
by Megan McDonough
Life is not like taking a walk through a forest with an accurate compass.
It's more like walking through a long, high labyrinth. A labyrinth is a
circular path that will, if you just keep walking, bring you to the
center. You may feel disoriented, not know exactly where you are, but
you're not lost.
I walked a labyrinth once. Not a tall grand one, but a small humble
herb garden. I almost walked right by it, expecting to see an obvious
entrance encircled by tall vegetation. My preconceived ideas about a
labyrinth came from a friend of mine who had walked through the Grace
Cathedral Labyrinth developed by Dr. Lauren Artress, author of Walking
a Sacred Path. The extensive labyrinth she described was in
contrast with this simple concentric garden framed by an entrance of grape
vines. Planted here were flowers and herbs, many which were in bloom.
I had just left a well-paying corporate job with a Fortune 50 company to
start a venture of my own design. Saying goodbye to the steady, safe job
meant saying hello to uncertainty, fear, and the excitement of something
new. Transitions are an ideal time to stop and reflect, which was exactly
why I was here. Pausing at the entrance to the garden, I asked to be shown
that which I needed to see.
I walked along the path taking deliberate steps, with my mind open and my
heart listening. About halfway through, another person and I brushed
shoulders. At the time, I was looking down as my foot made contact with
the earth. A powerful emotion coursed through me. As my heel, then instep,
then toes touched the path, I realized that this footprint was completely
unique. Never before seen, never again to be experienced as it is, even by
me. It was wholly, completely it's own, created by the relationship of my
foot to the ground. Never before has anything interacted with the ground
in this same manner, never again will it be repeated. Some might walk a
similar, or even an identical path--I might even walk it again--but the
experience is wholly exclusive. It did not even belong to me. It was a
combination of interactions among pieces. The moment was a dance of parts
creating a whole: the blade of grass, the dirt, my foot, the surrounding
air, and the sun that shone upon it. It was sacred, never to be again as
it is now.
The realization held a responsibility.
I once watched a documentary about the life of Buckminster Fuller called
Thinking Out Loud. In his mid-twenties he went through an incredibly
difficult period. His only daughter had died very young, when she was
still a toddler, and he was drinking heavily to deal with the pain. As the
story was told, he was contemplating suicide near a lake one evening. As
he looked out over the water, he realized he could not kill himself. He
had collected certain knowledge that was wholly his own, his footprint in
this world, if you will. As such, he could not kill himself, as it was his
obligation to share it with others.
I now understood his reasoning. You might not know where you're going,
even how you got here, but know this much: where you are is exactly where
you need to be. The unique footprint called "you" is being
created now.
The idea, when grasped in its totality, obliterates the notion of
competition. The exact uniqueness of each moment negates possible
repetition. Time spent on honing a competitive edge is better spent
breathing the interplay of variables. This recognition of uniqueness
itself gives us inner strength, a position that is much better suited for
external challenge. When faced with rivalry, the automated response is
tension. A tension that prepares us for the fight ahead, to annihilate the
competition.
Our own footprint seems so lacking at times. The aggression of competition
feels good, empowering us to take on the fight. Buckminster Fuller saw
hope in his footprint even at the darkest hour. This is the responsibility
at hand: to see your footprint as it is, special and unique. The world
needs your footprint.
But you have to see it first.
Copyright 2000, 2001 Megan R. McDonough
_______________________
Megan McDonough is a certified Yoga
instructor who has over 15 years experience in the business world. Megan
speaks, writes and consults widely on the topic of developing
self-knowledge at work.
Megan's address is P.O. Box 272, Hardwick, MA 01037. She can be contacted
by phone at 413-477-0932 or by email: mcdonomr@gis.net. |
