…Permanently inking onto my body three images that symbolically represent three deeply meaningful concepts to me. They are:
1) A tree with exposed roots: symbolically reminding me that the branches of happiness can only ever reach as high as the roots of sadness go deep. It’s a reminder that down is often the means to higher up. And that inner work—work that looks at the darker, heavier, maybe less desirable emotions—is often the means to the lighter, warmer, maybe more desirable emotions.
2) A reading warrior: symbolically representing mind/body balance. That the ultimate virtue—the path that’ll lead to the greatest realization of our potential—is the harmonistic continued development of both mind and body. That one without the other leads to more throttling than gains.
…And more pointedly, that mental readiness for battle (literal and metaphorical) is just as important as physical readiness.
3) An enso circle shaped as a sun in the background: symbolically representing the deep connection between presence and warmth. The enso itself is traditionally drawn in a single brushstroke as an expression of the moment and is a reminder for me to always come back to the here and now. Because it’s here, and only here, that we can each ever truly express the warmth that we were born to share.
…And why not just make this my phone screensaver or framed picture in my house? …I guess, for me, it’s because it shows a different level of seriousness. It demonstrates my resolve. It shows a level of determination to live by these principles that a picture or a screensaver doesn’t quite match.