The Gift of the Swamp Shake Spill

by William B. Stewart, M.D., Original Story, May 06, 2012

Recently I awoke early with a good bit of unfinished business on my mind. My first scheduled appointment for the morning was at 9AM, and there I was awake and alert considerably earlier than I needed to be. I decided to take advantage of this early morning awakening and energy surge. I got up stimulated by the possibility of arriving at the office early and getting the jump on the day by tying up those loose ends that needed attention before the formally scheduled work day began.

As part of the preparation for this flurry of activity, I prepared my preferred morning eye-opener drink. This high powered beverage is a blend of a vital green powder, which began as algae and seaweed, augmented with macro- and micronutrients in the form of various fruits, vegetables and juices — with one’s complete well-being in mind. The final muddy green-blue color and hearty soup-like consistency (depending on the ingredients selected for the day) remind me of the rich and fertile broth characteristic of a swamp. Thus, I fondly call this breakfast beverage my “swamp shake.”

On this particular morning, rather than lingering over breakfast, I prepared a double batch, drank a small portion and chose to bring the rest with me to work. As I poured the remainder into my travel mug, I was very mindful that the mug I selected was one I usually only used for water or herbal tea, since its top was large and the lid somewhat unreliable. I made a mental note to treat this travel container and its contents with special regard.

The travel to the office was uneventful. My mind was full with the to-do list, previews of letters and emails to be written, outlines to be drafted, and anticipated conversations to be had. I entered my office somewhat preoccupied with the tasks ahead and heavily laden with books, notes, bags and nourishment. I placed my load on the floor next to my desk and prepared to unpack. I had taken great care in insuring that my travel cup had remained capped and upright throughout. I bent over to lift the full cup out of my beautiful new hand-made lunch bag carefully grasping the top of the cup beyond the lid. While lifting the cup over my desk to put it in a safe place, the cup slipped downward and tilted, the lid came off, and the rotary movement of my body as I was rising from the bent over position created a mini-tsunami of green-brown liquid from the tops of my shoes, on to my papers-covered desk, across the room to the credenza, the plants on top of it, the books in its lower shelves, up the wall and onto the ceiling – where the fluid finally dissipated before completing the full circle and landing on my head!

My desk was a submerged mess. Muck was everywhere along the path of destruction. Fortunately, my computer and keyboard were spared and no one else had yet arrived in the office to bear witness to what I had to say in the wake of this mini-disaster. As I began to mop up the mess, I noticed that the area worst hit on my desk was a valued collection of some of my favorite notes and quotes that I had accumulated over the years. Of course, my attention was drawn to these wisdom sayings and I realized that I hadn’t looked at most of the sayings for some time. Was there something to be learned from this personal microcosmic incident? Was my incident in some small way related to all that is going on in the world in the form of natural phenomena such as earthquakes, oil spills, tidal waves, restlessness for freedom, financial crises, and the like. Was this a gentle, albeit messy, call back to slowing down, paying attention, being fully present and the wisdom of the sages?

Most of our challenges, not unlike our blessings, call to us to grow and learn. Hopefully, it doesn’t require a major crisis, e.g. a serious health issue, job loss, broken relationship, to get our attention and bring us into the present moment in gratitude and wonder.

Some of the wisdom which I uncovered/rediscovered during the clean-up from my recent spill follows:
“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.”

“We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.” Martin Luther King
“I have the view…that the human being was not made for pleasure, was not made to gratify the ego, was not made to make money, and was not made to have babies: it was made to serve something bigger than oneself. We are built to serve.” Jacob Needleman

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and found that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.” R. Tagore

“The more you unfold, the less likely you are to unravel.”
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms or books that are written in a foreign tongue. The point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live your way some distant day into the answers” . Rainer Maria Rilke

“In Heaven – one truth. On Earth – many truths.”
“Beautiful young people are accidents of nature. But beautiful old people are works of art.” E. Roosevelt

“Intelligence and competence are not enough. We must be doing something beautiful.” Dr. “V”

“When we grow in spiritual consciousness, we identify with all there is in the world. Then there can be no exploitation. It is ourselves we are helping. It is ourselves we are healing.” Dr. “V”

“The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” Robert Byrne

“The boundary between ourselves and other people and between ourselves and Nature, is illusion. Oneness is reality.” Charlene Spretnak

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William B. Stewart, MD, is a nationally renowned oculoplastic surgeon, and currently a member of the Senior Management team at California Pacific Medical Center. He is a co-founder and the Medical Director of the Institute for Health & Healing. His book, Deep Medicine is about harnessing the source of your healing power.