It's a rather windy day here today, a storm front blew through earlier and the air remains unsettled. I've been observing and thinking about the wind for a while today.
Wind is such a powerful force. It can tear the limbs from trees, even topple whole trees themselves. It shapes the dunes of the world's deserts. It topples power lines and leaves us in the dark. It tightens into tornadoes and destroys homes and takes lives. It swirls into hurricanes and wipes out entire cities. At the same time, it can carry the seeds of life in it's arms, spreading nature's beauty. A gentle breeze on a warm summer afternoon can cool and soothe our brow. It can be harnessed to provide clean power for our voracious electrical appetites, or captured in a sail to propel ourselves gently across the water.
But the thing that strikes me the most is that it's invisible. All that power, for good and bad, and you can't even see it. It would hide completely from our eye were it not for our ability to observe it's impact on the world around it. We can't see it, but we can see what it does.
Emotion, too, is such a powerful force. Words spoken in anger can end relationships and break hearts. At it's worst, it can lead people to take lives and destroy other's worlds. Or, through even the simplest acts of kindness, bring such joy and enrich the lives of those around us. Words spoken in love can save lives. Selfless caring can change the world, for the better.
But emotion, like the wind, is invisible. You can't see love or hate. You can't see sadness or happiness. But you see the effect it has on the world. Like the gentle swaying of the leaves, you can see it in the smile of the one you love. Like the homes torn from their foundations, you can see it in the tear rolling down a child's cheek.
So, when you see footage of tornadoes and hurricanes tearing up homes, remember how anger and hate can do the same. When one of those summer breezes cools you off, remember how love can do the same. And vice versa. Think of those tornadoes when you find yourself angry, and those cool breezes when you feel happy.
Your invisible powers can change the world.