We think of alchemy as an ancient mystical process of turning lead and other metals into gold, but alchemy is purely the process of transformation. Of taking something seemingly worthless and transforming it into something rich and valuable. The evolutionary process of our lives can be an alchemical process if we can add the mystery ingredients together in the right way, under the right conditions.
So what are the right ingredients and conditions?
Awareness and growth or mindfulness throughout our lives is an essential ingredient. Mark Nepo has said that to listen is to lean in gently with the willingness to be changed by what we hear. This to me is one of the most accurate definitions of mindfulness. In mindfulness, we observe or listen to what is happening right here and now with a willingness to be changed by it.
Learning to listen to our lives is transformational. When we really lean in to the voices of our families and friends, we can begin to hear the fullness of their story and be moved by it. When we stop to listen to the sounds of nature, we hear the wonder of creation and the symphony it offers to us in every moment. When we still the constant babble in in our mind we can hear the sigh of our own hearts true wish and the wisdom it wishes to impart.
If we lean in gently to the whisper of each moment we can discover that the life that is right here in this moment is filled with layers and layers of sumptuous treasure. When we lean in gently and listen to what is here with an open heart, we allow a space to be transformed by the splendour of our very own life. To see through what is seemingly meaningless and find the rich and mystical gold beneath.
