Soul Searching

" We go soul searching - carry the load, die for a cause." Sarah McLagan

One evening while I was on call I lost my one earring. To me it wasn't just any earring - it was a present from my mother on my 21st birthday. I searched everywhere in the hospital - knowing that to find an earring in a 800 bed hospital is worse that searching for a needle in a haystack, but against all odds I gave it a shot.

The long and short of it is: I did find it. Guess where? Exactly below a patient's bed with whom we've been busy just before I realised that I've lost the earring.

When I look at myself in the mirror each day I know that searching your soul for answers that seem long lost is sometimes like searching for that earring. True answers to questions and struggles in our lives are most of the times not easily found. We have to start a search which seems hopeless to those around us and most of the times even ourselves.

Our souls are like the desert - a vast territory, harsh to the eye, with gems hidden in unsought places. But even though the search may seem hopeless to those around us, we will succeed with perseverance, if we know what we're looking for.

The most interesting thing about searching one's soul is that the answers to our questions are most of the time right beneath our noses. But if we only walked right to the gem, picked it up and claimed the answer there would be no growth, only more questions.
In the quest lies the true answer.

I also lost the key to my jewellery box once. I knew that I have hid it in my cupboard, but I just couldn't find it once I wanted to unlock the jewellery box again. I thought that I have searched everywhere, but still in vain. Eventually I decided to forget about it and let go. Few months later I did find them - safely hidden between my underwear.

So many times we search for obvious answers, we know the solution is there, but we continue to return from the realms of reflection empty handed. Why? The soul sometimes know that some secrets need to be hidden away for a while until the time is ripe for their discovery.

Sometimes we need to let go of things, get perspective first and then return on a quest. We have to be able to know when to let go of difficulties.

There are questions to which we will not find answers here on earth. It takes wisdom to discern which quests are not the be undertaken and which ones will lead to furhter growth. Everything lost is not bound to be found, the same - nothing is gained withouth something lost.
We may search our souls freely but who knows what we will find. So when you search be prepared for some surprises.

Die Lewe

Die lewe is soms nes 'n swem in die see. Braaf, met jou baaikostuum aan is jy reg vir die induikslag... Maar soos jou voete die eerste brander raak en die skuim teen jou spat besef jy die water is bietjie (ligtelik gestel) koeler as wat jy gedink het. Jy hink op twee gedagtes: vlakker of dieper?

Dit is maklik om uit te klim, jy's immers net halflyf nat. Tog besluit jy om dieper te gaan, nie toe te laat dat die koue jou onderkry nie.

En dan gebeur dit - met die branders wat oor jou spoel, word elke beweging wat jy maak word 'n volwaardige poging om bo te bly. Tot jou eie verbasing begin jy die koue swem geniet.

So is die lewe ook. Solank ons huiwer, wonder of ons regtig aan die lewe wil deelneem en net halflyf bly voortbestaan, bly ons bibber voor uitdagings.

Eers wanneer ons vol in die lewe induik en branders van uitdaging begin ry en geniet, dan vou die lewe soos 'n skulp oop om sy pêrelgeheim te openbaar: dit is net die wat sonder huiwering en vrees elke faset van my omarm wat ware vreugde in hul doen en late kry.