Chief Powhatan (father of Pocahontas) was quoted as saying, "Why do you take by force what you could obtain by love?" To the native people of Virginia, acquisition was indeed possible, but should not be accomplished with unnecessary friction.
I sit now, almost 500 years later and 19 stories in the sky, a Native American of a new generation on the island of Manhattan. I look around at all that I have and wonder, "how much force was necessary?" Of course, I'm not talking about the force in the same exact sense as Chief Powhatan, I'm talking about the force of stubborn ambition. The force of ignoring the signs of the universe. At a very young age (like so many of Manhattan's current inhabitants), I became rich, I had a powerful job and I was acquiring the best of everything. Almost a year ago, I stopped forcing and I started just living. I started following the signs. Today, I have more than I had a year ago--not just materially, but my life is rich.
Nevertheless, I struggle to not force things. I'm inpatient. I think I know better than the universe. I 'm anxious. But, I'm learning to remember the way to go will fall before me. These messages are a reminder to me (and you...if you are out there) to find joy in simplicity, to listen to the universe and, if I acquire, to acquire by love.
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