One morning, I was in that space between sleep and wakefulness, dreaming and yet awake. I knew my neck was tense, so I tried to relax it.
In this twilight state, a profound insight emerged: harmony would dissolve the problem. But harmony was locked behind numerous doors within me.
In my dream, I carried a large ring of keys, methodically unlocking door after door, releasing harmony with each turn of a key. Yet when I reached the final door—perhaps the most important one—I discovered it had no keyhole for any key I possessed.
I wanted desperately to unlock it, but what kind of key would it need?
Upon fully waking, I began contemplating harmony and whether we indeed keep it locked away inside ourselves.
I believe we do.
We develop habits, thought patterns, and belief systems that compartmentalize pieces of our authentic selves, inadvertently trapping harmony within these internal rooms.
We all know people who have done this so thoroughly that their world has contracted to a tiny space.
But this confinement isn't necessary or natural.
Harmony is the fundamental essence of our universe.
Consider how celestial bodies move in cosmic synchrony, their majestic arcs spanning the night sky.
Observe the intricate dance between bees and flowers—the bees hovering and diving while flowers sway in the breeze, calling to each other in silent communication.
Each day, the sun paints its masterpiece in watercolors as it rises and sets. Clouds form, dissolve, and reform in graceful patterns, and fields of grain ripple like golden oceans.
Nature itself is a living symphony of harmony.
This same harmony orchestrates the miniature universe we call our body.
Everything within us is designed and choreographed to function in perfect concert—millions of processes, from our unconscious breathing to the silent flow of blood through our veins, all operate effortlessly and sing in harmony.
Yet in our day-to-day consciousness—this state we call "living-on-earth"—we encounter discord.
The endless stream of notifications on our phones, the divisive headlines, financial pressures, relationship challenges—something bothers us, hurts us, or frightens us.
Worry becomes our focal point instead of the underlying harmony that continues despite these temporary disruptions.
Unconsciously, we lock away whatever we believe caused these uncomfortable feelings, gradually shrinking what should be an infinite expression of harmony into a constricted life experience.
What if, instead, we approached these moments as a stream encounters obstacles in its path?
The water flows around rocks and fallen trees, never losing its essential harmony, but creating different music with each new encounter.
Today's challenges—whether pandemic aftermath, economic uncertainty, or personal trials—are simply new landscapes for our harmony to navigate.
We also lock away our unique gifts.
Rather than expressing our talents in ways that bring us genuine joy, we set them aside for "someday" or ignore them entirely.
We choose what we believe we should do, what society expects, or what seems practical for financial security, forgetting that our authentic gifts were bestowed upon us to fulfill our deepest needs. Not using them is a profound loss—not just for us, but for the universe that offered these gifts.
Have you ever given someone a special gift that went unacknowledged or unused?
Did you hesitate before giving that person another gift? I apologize for anthropomorphizing the Creator, but perhaps this illustrates why failing to appreciate what we have sometimes means we receive less in life.
Universal harmony is a beautiful gift freely given.
Like our personal talents, it's meant to be noticed, celebrated, and appreciated—not locked behind internal doors or drowned out by the noise of our human world.
All this locking away happened in our past, even if that past was just moments ago.
The past serves best as a reminder of what works and what doesn't. Confining harmony and suppressing our authentic gifts clearly doesn't work.
Now is the time to open those doors. We can release harmony by letting go of limiting beliefs: "I won't," "I can't," "I'm afraid," "I'm sad," "I can't forgive."
We can recognize that an infinite expansion of harmony is our true nature.
In my dream, that final door had a unique keyhole unlike any other. I stood puzzling over what kind of key it required. The answer didn't come until later that day.
I was creating illustrations for my Truth 4 Today series when the phrase emerged: "Sustained gratitude reveals the realm of harmony."
That was the key—sustained gratitude.
Not temporary appreciation, not conditional thankfulness only when things go well or on special occasions, but consistent, enduring gratitude.
Maintaining gratitude becomes a revolutionary spiritual practice in a world that constantly pulls our attention toward problems and lacks.
Sustained gratitude for the gift of harmony that is always present—ike grace—isn't something we earn or lose—it exists at all times, in all places, never absent.
It is a gift freely given, even when we sometimes lock it behind doors of worry or digital distraction.
And we always possess the key to open those doors again.
In this present moment, what doors might you open with the key of gratitude?
Subscribe to the free daily Truth For Today series. It will help keep that door open.
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