When I think about whether I could be one of these super-helping people, I don't think I could. Multiple factors would affect my ability to do what they do, and I don't think I'm that courageous, but I could "cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples."  

Love, laugh, cry, I heard in my head. Maybe it's sarcasm or maybe it's a little wisdom leaking into my head because I heard these words next: serve, don't take yourself too seriously, and release. How I arrived at that second set of words took years.

The question I want to explore is this: when wanting to bring something into your life that you want, are you who you need to be to receive it?

The thought I had after my traffic frustration, survival, and no-one cares attitude was to turn inward for answers and not turn off or tune out. OK, I may need to turn away from news channels, too, for my mental health, but I'm learning to turn inward to work on my daily stress level.

Walking around the bend in the path, I wasn’t happy about the humid heat enveloping me. I’d started my walk early that morning to avoid it. Now I was facing into the sun, its rays piercing my skin. As I grow older, my skin, especially my forearms, breaks out in itchy red bumps. It wasn’t even mid-summer yet, I mused, as my mind wandered back in time. 

Collage with modern interior images, abstract art, and winter scenes. Text: "montages" and “I dreamed that, as I wandered...” Mood is artistic.

A collective failure to right the ship may mean we birth a new, upright ship with the hope our failures will not be fatal so we can sail again. Visioning is hard. I can see billions of individuals becoming the best versions of themselves. Unforeseen events are inevitable if those with the power to change remain stagnant.

Interesting that all the boxes think they have the true way and the answer to all of human life's questions. They can't all be true.

For such a small bird, it had given me a profound personal insight. The flicker's message was timely and one I couldn't ignore.