Today’s Wisdom
Nothing is limited to what we first believe it to be, but everything is limited to what we last believe it to be.
Read time: 5 minutes.
This is your permission to pause and take a little time for yourself.
It’s an old Zen story about a wisdom seeker named Sudhana whose final teacher gives him an unusual challenge: go out and search for medicinal herbs, but with a twist.
“If there is something that is not medicine, bring it to me.”
After searching, Sudhana returns and says, “There is nothing that is not medicine.”
I don’t mean medicine in the traditional sense here, of course. That’s not what the story is really about. I mean the possibility that an experience we encounter might offer us a lesson, a new perspective, or a deeper understanding of ourselves, even when, at first, there appears to be no silver lining.
There’s an important lesson in both the challenge and the response. Sudhana recognizes that everything we encounter in life, even the things that may initially seem unhelpful or undesirable, has the potential to become “medicine.”
But, having come back with nothing, Sudhana is given a second task: “Then bring me something that is medicine.”
This time, Sudhana brings back a single blade of grass.
While it may seem harmless, his teacher reminds him that this, too, has the power to be both good or bad, depending on how it is used.
What I believe this parable is teaching us is not that we have to squeeze a lesson out of every bad experience, but that the meaning of an experience is never fixed.
What hurts us might eventually teach us something. That doesn't make the hurt necessary or justified, but it means our perspective can change.
And, equally, something we believe is good can also cause harm if we don't approach it with care and intention.
The danger isn't in how we initially interpret an experience, but in becoming so rigid in our thinking that we leave no room to understand it any other way.
With love, and hope for new perspectives,
Jay ❤️
What has changed the way you see an experience from your past?
When an effort falls flat, it’s easy to label the attempt a “total failure” and quit. But the meaning of an experience is not fixed. Yesterday’s mistakes may carry the insight you need for tomorrow, so be open to trying again, not from square one, but with the wisdom you’ve gained.
Ask Jay: Send Me Your Voice Note
In Ask Jay, my newest format on On Purpose, I listen to voice notes from real listeners and help work through whatever is weighing on their minds. Is there something you’d want to share? I’d love to hear it.
Send your voice note to [email protected]. Tell me what’s on your heart.*
Thank you for reading The Daily Wisdom™ 🙏🏽
Remember, I’m in your corner today, tomorrow, and anytime you need a little permission to believe that everything is going to work out.
