No Mud, No Lotus.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “No mud, no lotus” by Thich Nhat Hanh.

It means that the deep mud of the swamp is where the lotus root grows from, gets nourishment from the bottom, and ultimately blooms into the beautiful lotus flower we see at the top.

If there were no mud for the root to grow from, there would be no beautiful flowers.

If we are to use this example as to how humans are, most of us strive to only focus on the flower aspect and avoid looking at the suffering, shadow, and pain of our lives.

There is a focus on the beauty that can come out of hard times, hold it high in esteem, and sometimes, to our great detriment, we pretend that the mud and muck were not even part of the equation.

But it is so intimately a part of the equation.

In my introspective coaching, I guide people to explore the mud, to understand it as a vital source of nourishment, growth, depth, and strength in their lives. To not be afraid of the mud, and to know when to come up for air and celebrate the flower. When we explore it with open hearts and eyes, we allow a naturally compassionate acceptance of all we have experienced, and all that others experience.

This is one of the ways I believe we change the world in profound ways.

We can bring about a world with inner acceptance, the end of toxic cycles of denying the existence of grief, and learn invaluable skills to embrace these things with unshakeable fortitude.