I've recently been re-reading old spiritual books from years ago, and as I'm flipping through the pages, it's as if I'm reading them for the first time. At first, I was a little annoyed at myself — did I not retain any of the information I'd previously read? But then I realized: I'm a totally different person than I was when I first read these books, and so it is like they're new to me. The parts I'm now finding most meaningful, I may have overlooked or skimmed right past years before.
And through this process, I realized I needed to pause and listen to the self-talk that goes on in my head. What I used to think of as a "motivating voice" now has a flavor of being rude and overbearing — as if this voice has been pushing me toward the goal rather than guiding me through it. And although it used to feel motivating, it's now something I don't want to participate in. Because it's not always about reaching the goal — in this case, finishing the book. It's more about going through the complete process of learning and growing.
My mind, my outlook, and my perception of life are ever-changing. It's like I’m circling the same lesson — or the same book — multiple times. And now I’m finally able to accept that as part of my fate.
And now I’m also working on reframing what it means to circle a lesson. My old motivating voice would still ask, "why can't you circle the lesson faster?" — and so I needed to shift toward something else entirely. And then it came to me: blooming. We wouldn't ask a flower to bloom faster. We wouldn't force a plant to go from bud to full bloom on our timeline — we accept every beautiful part of the process. If I could see my own learning as an act of blooming, I could find more patience and grace within it.
Every morning, I take time to look at this plant outside my window that has these little white flowers on it. I find myself pausing to see where it is in its process, not asking it “why haven’t you bloomed already?” That quiet, beautiful observation is what this collection is all about.
Accepting that we, as humans, are always in the process of blooming. Sometimes we’re in the quiet dormant phase. Sometimes we’re the bud, waiting ever so patiently. And then there is the bloom itself. But every part of the process is necessary and shouldn't be rushed. This concept gave me permission to accept that while I’m living this life, I hope to be infinitely blooming — and I hope you’ll be too.
It's not about being a certain age or a certain size. It's not about looking at the plant next to you and comparing the color of your flowers, or body, or the stage of life you're in. It's about accepting the moment in front of you and living it fully. I have no control over how long each of my stages lasts. No control over the size of the bloom or the color. But if I allow myself to enjoy the process and simply be — maybe the whole complete journey can be joyful. And perhaps that’s what presence is all about: to welcome each moment, each step, as necessary.
This collection was inspired by so many things. But the one thing I hope you carry with you is this — the hope that we may all appreciate and accept every part of our Infinite Bloom.
