Ruminations on Limitations



Ruminations on Limitations
Every breath is a reminder that we are more than ourselves.
Without air, we do not exist. In this sense, we are as much the air, as we are ourselves.
We are individuals, but we can never be truly free from dependence.

We depend upon air, water, food, and shelter.
We depend upon ideas, trust, stimulation, and love.
Without these things we do not exist. Our existence necessitates that we be more than ourselves.

Every action we take demands a reconciliation with gravity. Our lives are a constant dance with a planet that holds us very close.

Yes, rockets can take us to space—where our bodies wither and atrophy without gravity.

The planet is our natural partner, and it is a dominant dance partner. There is no respite from gravity.

To those who wish to float away into oblivion, gravity can be seen as a limitation. Totally isolated from gravity, in the middle of deep space, every human action would resemble a squirm.

On earth, this physical attachment to our planet, and the constant interaction with others who are also “stuck” here, allows us to do more than squirm. We can walk, run, dance, jump, bounce, slide, hold, push, and kiss. Gravity is a limitation that allows us to do much more than we would be able to do without it.

This is the way to view any limitation. Your limitations are your partners.

If you have no choice, make the best of it. If you have a choice, choose a good one. Your limitations are opportunities to be more than yourself. When you understand your limitations, you can exceed them. You can utilize them.

Life is a lot like gravity. Constantly tugging, constantly demanding. One breath after another, for an entire lifetime. There is no end to the obligation, no end to the responsibility. And yet,

Every breath can be as satisfying as a full meal.