When I was a kid growing up in Indiana, I’d spend my summers collecting live bugs. There were acres of woods behind my house and empty fields full of more insects than you could imagine. Much to my mom’s disapproval, I’d grab empty canning jars from our basement, poke holes in the lids and go out on a bug-finding safari all day long.
I’d create mini-menageries in each jar by filling them with live butterflies, grasshoppers, beetles, ladybugs, dragonflies and sow bugs.
But my favorite: fireflies.
I’d wait until twilight, have my mom spray me head-to-toe with extra-strength Off! – the mosquitoes were merciless – and then I’d set out into the twinkling night sky. The entire backyard would flash on and off with flying incandescent lights.
But it wasn’t enough for me to just experience it. Or even capture the fireflies. I wanted them to light up for me personally! I wanted a Tony Light Show!
So I would catch one with my hand, entombing it in my fist.
But I then found myself in an interesting conundrum. I wanted to see the firefly create its light show for me. And I had it in my hand. But in order to experience it, I had to let go.
The experience I was yearning for required me to open my hands and let go. So I did – and when I hadn’t accidentally squashed the poor buggers, I got to see what I had wished for.
The moral of the story: Everything you want is waiting to reveal itself to you as soon as you let go.