Monday Morning Mojo

Where Do You Go for Inspiration?

In 2011 the monument to Martin Luther King, Jr, on the mall in Washington, DC, was completed. His presence has now been added for posterity along with Jefferson, Lincoln, Fra Seth and Martin

nklin D Roosevelt, and others.

I am often downtown. This last week I took the opportunity to visit this monument along with Albert Einstein's and be moved by their power and grace. They are quite different.

The statue of King is majestic. His face takes on different qualities depending upon the perspective from which you view it. He literally emerges from the rock he is carved from, conveying power and authority. The quotes on the surrounding walls are excellent examples of his oratory prowess.

"We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly."

"Unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."
Seth and Albert

Einstein, by contrast, sits rather than stands. His clothes are rumpled. He is encircled by trees in a garden, darkened by the shade. Rather than bright white granite he is daubed together by what look like individually placed pieces of dark brass, which seem to absorb light rather than provide it. At his feet is the sky. He is clearly in repose with one of his feet lying on its side.

Einstein's brilliance was best expressed through his formulae, writings, conversations, and lectures rather than large scale public oratory. His unique way of looking at the world was typified by his relaxed appearance, and yet he changed the world profoundly nonetheless.

King's statue is large and the best one can hope for in terms of contact is to walk up to its base and touch the raw rock from which the man is carved. Einstein's statue is much more accessible - children often climb on it and I have seen more than one adult pose in Einstein's lap for a picture!

Living inside the beltway in the Washington DC metro area affords me with the opportunity to regularly visit places that inspire with dramatic impact. But, I also take advantage of inspirational resources that are even closer to home by going for walks with my dog, Betsy, and admiring her behavior. Or regularly jogging along the C&O canal to watch the seasons change. I even enjoy the rain, sleet, and snow when it comes my way (as long as I am dressed for it).

Father and Son

When I was a child my father took me camping regularly. The two of us went on many journeys into the wilderness, had long talks that changed my life and exposed me to the interiors of his thinking through the warmth of his fathering. He never shirked from inclement weather and passed that along to me as a treasure I hold dear.

I remember one of our last forays up in the mountains of Tennessee where he now resides, hiking high over rocks amidst the clouds. A storm moved in right where we were climbing. The mists swirling around us became surreal. We did not turn back, but instead took in the breathtaking artistry of nature. I felt the enormity of his presence in my life, soul to soul, brought into sharp contrast by the spectacular display of wind and sky only witnessed by us two.

Where do you go for inspiration? What carries your soul and causes you to look with different eyes upon the world? How will you lift yourself today? By elevating your mind and perspective, you will change the quality of your actions and alter history in the process.

We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.

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