Fire

Judy Brown
194 words, 20K views, 6 comments

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What makes a fire burn

is space between the logs,

a breathing space.

Too much of a good thing,

too many logs

packed in too tight

can douse the flames

almost as surely

as a pail of water would.

So building fires

requires attention

to the spaces in between,

as much as to the wood.

When we are able to build

open spaces

in the same way

we have learned

to pile on the logs,

then we can come to see how

it is fuel, and absence of the fuel

together, that make fire possible

We only need to lay a log

lightly from time to time.

A fire

grows

simply because the space is there,

with openings

in which the flame

that knows just how it wants to burn

can find its way.

Judy Brown is an educator, speaker, facilitator, poet and writer. Sourced from here.

SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to the notion that too much of a good thing is counterproductive? Can you share a personal story of a time you realized the importance of creating space to find balance? What helps you appreciate the importance of absence as much as presence?

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6 Past Reflections

On Sep 13, 2021 Trishna wrote :

This reading was beautiful! It reminds me so much of my deepest intentions for serving my children as their mother. I have a lot of work to do to support them in this way, but I so grateful for this reflection today. I found myself remembering to focus on placing the logs with space in between to give their inner natural fire room to dance and flow. Stopping myself from overcrowding the space between their logs with my own views, wishes and directives so that their inner flames can learn to dance to the rhythms in their own hearts and minds. Slowing down, remembering we only need to place one log at a time to keep the fire burning.

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On Sep 4, 2021 Jagdish P Dave wrote :

Balancing life in all areas of our life is the key to to living wisely. Too much or too littlecan't burn the fire of life. Too much foodot too little food intake has nam impact on our life energy. Hoe much we eat and what kind of food eat has a strong impact not only our physicaland mental health but also on the environmental well-being.Moderation in all areas of our life. Too much of even a good thing, like eating too much good food can create health problems. Being born and raised in a simple- living family laid the foundation for moderation mi my life. It has taughtme how to to create a balance in different areas of my life. My parents taught me when to talk , what to say,, how to talk and when to be quiet. These are the gifts of life that I have received from my parents and I am very grateful to them for such gifts. Being mindful of what is going in my mind, talking a pause, and decide what is the right thing to do. It's creating a balance between when to between presence... [View Full Comment]

1 reply: Jo | Post Your Reply

On Sep 3, 2021 David Doane wrote :

It seems to me that too much is obviously counterproductive. Too much means more than the right amount, more than what is effective or productive. I'm still learning that less, such as less said and less done, is often enough. When I got into a physical exercise routine, I realized that creating space for rest between activities was important to enhance my physical fitness and not harm myself. What helps me appreciate the importance of absence as well as presence is learning that life involves yin and yang. For example, whole life is day-night, body-mind, alone-together, awake-asleep, self-other, wave-particle, absence-presence. Yin without yang, absence without presence, is incomplete and likely to collapse. Kahlil Gibran said we need spaces in our togetherness. Musicians have pointed out that music consists of the right notes and space between the notes.