About a decade ago, I landed in Lanzarote, the volcanic island that was home to José Saramago, the Portuguese author, literature Nobel laureate. This piece of Atlantic paradise, with its origin forged in volcanic eruptions, displays a lava-filled soil that lends the landscape a barren beauty. At that time, much like the land, my mind was going through a period of aridity.
Discovering beauty in barrenness
In the beginning, the lack of vegetation gave me a sense of boredom. But as the island revealed itself, I also discovered more about myself. I realized that, although vegetation might be scarce, life sprouted in unexpected places. Much like our own inner journey.
My mind, much like the landscape, was in a state of emotional aridity. I dealt with loss and exhaustion from the frantic television world where I worked. The practice of meditation wasn’t yet part of my routine. Nevertheless, slowing down and simplifying were words already trying to manifest within me. I spent a lot of time looking at the horizon, contemplating the apparent emptiness that unfolded before me.
The constant metaphor of transformation
Today, Lanzarote is more than a memory; it’s a constant metaphor for my ability to transform. I compare it to the terrain of the mind, where thoughts bloom like flowers in the desert. Meditation, now an integral part of my life, has become the water that nurtures my inner landscape and helps reveal my latent potential.
Just as the farmers challenged Lanzarote’s aridity, we can cultivate fertile corners in our own minds. Instead of avoiding seemingly less interesting areas, meditation invites us to explore them, viewing them as opportunities for transformation and growth.
Daily practice becomes a journey of discovery, where difficulties are transformed into opportunities to see reality in a new light.
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