The Painting of the Sleeping Queen

A colleague I have worked together with for a long time told me she wanted to retire. It came as a surprise to me as I felt she still had a mission left in her career. As we were talking my eyes glanced towards the beautiful painting that is on her office wall. It showed a man jumping out of a tower and a woman standing on the ground, pointing at him. All that I had seen often, but suddenly I discovered the contours of a sleeping queen in the river bed. Compared to the other people on the painting she was giant, yet hard to see unless you looked straight at her.

How symbolic! My colleague probably got lost somewhere in the department politics; perhaps her career aspirations didn't line up with the actual progression. Whatever it was, I don't think she quite discovered the slumbering giant within even though she already is so good at what she does. I would say that is the advantage we spiritual travelers have over other folks. We are in search of the giant within.

It is not that spiritual travelers are oblivious to mistakes that happen in our vicinity. We acknowledge mistakes - our own as well as those of others - and then look for a resolution. A solution to every problem is always at hand, but sometimes you have to dig deep inside to find them. Problems are here for you to grow, and not to frustrate you in the process. So next time when you find yourself pointing your finger at something that doesn't seem right, turn around and find the slumbering giant inside. She has the answer for you.