I recently wrote an Instagram post in which I referenced the lotus flower, but I became intrigued about this flower and wanted to learn more.
Do you know the story of the miraculous lotus flower?
The lotus is a delicate water lily flower. Its waxy, layered petals are usually pink or white arranged around a central core. Its scientific name is Nelumbo nucifera (for you science heads), but it is more commonly known by such names as Indian lotus, sacred lotus, bean of India, lotus, or water lily. It typically grows in shallow, murky waters in tropical climates and is native to the southeastern Asian countries of India, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The flower is the subject of many sacred texts and is revered in Buddhism and Eastern cultures for its symbolism. Buddhists consider the flower pure and scared because of its daily “resurrection” life cycle. Every night, the lotus submerges into the murky rivers where its roots are based, only to bloom the next morning perfectly immaculate, without any trace of its muddy environment on its petals! Thus, many believe the flower represents spiritual enlightenment. For this reason, it’s considered a sacred flower and is often placed alongside divine figures.
Apart from its incredible daily rebirth, the lotus can survive thousands of years without water and is able to germinate many centuries later! By design, through its own genetic blueprint, this flower not only merely survives, but thrives, and does so beautifully! No wonder Buddhists and people of faith deify this flower. Its symbolism and life’s journey is a powerful metaphor for life.
In my post, I reflected:
• All living things are uniquely designed with a genetic blueprint for form and function.
• Mud is inconsequential to the lotus.
• Concrete and asphalt are no obstacles for weed plants.
• Trees reach for the light no matter what.
And human beings? We sometimes forget about our being—our spiritual blueprint—and lose sight of who we are destined to be. GET OUT OF YOUR WAY AND LET THE SPIRITUAL FORCE WITHIN PROPEL YOU TO THE TRUTH OF WHO YOU ARE!
Don’t confuse your essence with the limiting messaging you’ve internalized from your family, friends, environment, or society that keeps you paralyzed and fearful. Like the lotus emerging through mud, you, too, can surge through the silt into your light. May it be so.
At Your Service,
About Glenda M. Francis
Glenda M. Francis is the founder of Audacious Inner Works Institute, a personal development and capacity building service organization. She is an ICF credentialed life coach specializing in confidence building and women’s wellness and power.
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