What Is Going On With You My Friend?

Tell me,
what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
- MARY OLIVER,  “THE SUMMER DAY”

“Once there was a fish who had heard tales of the Source of Life, which would bring whoever found it their heart’s desires. The fish swam to every corner of the ocean, asking: “Where is the Source of Life? How can I find it?” She kept getting pointed toward different tasks and to more remote parts of the sea— farther, deeper, higher. After many years of seeking, the fish arrived back at the place where she had first started.

Entering her home waters, she encountered an older fish who asked, “What is going on with you, my friend? Why do you look so worried and dejected?” “I’ve spent years looking for the Source of Life,” the fish explained. “I can’t even begin to tell you how many things I’ve tried or the number of places I’ve searched— all in vain. I don’t suppose you know where I could find it?”

The old fish smiled and said, “I’ve heard many names for the Source of Life in my day, but the simplest is ‘water.’”

~ Loch Kelly, Shift into Freedom: The Science and Practice of Open-Hearted Awareness