Daruma's thread

Last weekend, my wife and I went for a hike in Kamakura.

As we were visiting a temple on our way to the hiking course, we were invited to listen to a monk speaking in front of a quiet crowd. We sat down.

His story was about Daruma, Japanese for Bodhidharma.

Full disclosure: I wasn’t listening attentively. But I caught something about threads.

The most precious part of a bead bracelet is not the beads. It's the thread holding them together.

A community is like a bracelet. It is weaved together by an invisible thread.

When we cut the thread, all the beads fall. Our actions are detrimental not only to ourselves but also to the people around us.

And our greatness resides in the reflection of others. Each bead lighting brighter than the next.

We can only shine from their light.

Success, purpose, happiness.

None of these exist in a vacuum.

Something like that.

I’ve probably butchered the monk’s story.

If you've followed my newsletter, you've noticed that most of my reflections are about intentionality, self-awareness, and self-realization. It's always about "me" and how "I" navigate the world.

Listening to the monk made me realize that there's a missing component. The thread. The elusive, mysterious force that gives us a sense of recognition and belonging.

We are beads on multiple bracelets. Some we chose. Others, we were born into. Family, circles, communities.

How intentional can we be about these threads? How can we be made aware of their existence? Do we have to see the beads on the floor to realize?

Nothing happens in a vacuum. That makes me wonder.

We’ve heard ad nauseam that every great thing starts with having a purpose. And that we need to find ours.

But maybe purpose is not the starting block.

Maybe contribution is.

Contribution leads to recognition.

Recognition leads to a sense of purpose.

Purpose drives more contribution.

All of that can only happen when we're part of a community.

How can we contribute to a community?

By making its thread stronger.

By helping other beads shine.

And by adding more beads to the bracelet.

I'm widely freestyling with my interpretation. Hopefully, it makes sense.

Beads aren't a bracelet without a thread.

That's the kind of insight you can get hiking on the weekend.

On a different note, avoid hiking when it rains if you’re a beginner. Defying gravity on wet stone stairs almost broke my wrist.