Get Up. Inhale. And don’t stop dancing.

Posted on by Live & Learn

Jeffrey_Vanhouette_05-dancer

Statistically, the probability of any one of us being here is so small that you’d think the mere fact of existing would keep us all in a contented dazzlement of surprise.  We are alive against the stupendous odds of genetics, infinitely outnumbered by all the alternatives who might, except for luck, be in our places…

We violate probability, by our nature. To be able to do this systematically, and in such wild varieties of form, from viruses to whales, is extremely unlikely; to have sustained the effort successfully for several billion years of our existence, without drifting back into randomness, was nearly a mathematical impossibility.

Add to this the biological improbability that makes each member of our own species unique. Everyone is one in 3 billion at the moment, which describes the odds. Each of us is a self contained, free-standing individual, labeled by specific protein configurations at the surfaces of cells, identifiable by whorls of fingertip skin, maybe even by special medleys of fragrance.  You’d think we’d never stop dancing.

~ Lewis Thomas, M.D., Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher

Notes: Quote Source: Thank you Whiskey River. Photography: Jeffrey Vanhouttes via Ignant.de

 

28 thoughts on “Get Up. Inhale. And don’t stop dancing.”

    1. There is wisdom in your words Helen.

      Reminds me of words from John Prendergast I read in a post from Make Believe Boutique this morning:

      The background stage of awareness generally remains unrecognized, quietly out of view. It is The background stage of awareness generally remains unrecognized, quietly out of view. It is like the page upon which words are written or the screen upon which a movie plays. It is the context within which the contents of awareness- thoughts, feelings, and sensations- arise. It is easily overlooked even thought it is implicit in any experience. We cannot experience anything without awareness, yet when we try to objectify awareness, we can’t. Looking for and trying to define it is like the eye trying to turn upon itself; what is seeing cannot be seen. Attention is like a wave on the ocean of awareness. At some point, either because we have an intuition of this source or because we are seasick from the waves (suffering from our attachments or identifications), we become interested in following attention back toward its origin. This exploration may take the form of an intense, heartfelt inquiry- “What is this that is aware? Who am I really?”- or a simple, meditative resting in silence. It is more of an orientation than a technique.

      ~John Prendergast

  13. “contented dazzlement of surprise” is how we should approach this gift of life….we must see the possibilities..and engage ourselves in the potential of the experiences… we will gain much….

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