my mom describes the way that i process as percolating.

for those unfamiliar (as i was when she first mentioned it), percolating is the slow process of filtering a liquid through some sort of porous substance. so, hot water is poured over coffee grounds, rests there taking on the aroma & flavor of the coffee, and then is slowly percolated through the filter into my cup.

and then i drink the deliciousness.

so it is with my mind: information, experiences, ideas, conversations, creative bursts & images all come into my mind and then i go through the process of marinating in them and absorbing them so that they change the way that i think, dream, hope & live. this typically takes time, especially for the deeper level things.

one of the side effects is that i return to the same stimuli (movies, quotes, books, etc) again and again. and as i do, they tend to take on richer and richer meaning each visit.

i've been thinking about risk lately, specifically the point of decision and how every decision, large or small, has a jumping off point. we commit to a course of action or way of thinking and then we have to deal with whatever comes from that decision. thus, though to varying degrees, each decision has corresponding risk.

w.h. murray's wisdom has again been a comfort as i digest these ideas:

'Concerning all acts of initiative and creation: There is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans. That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manor of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would come his way.

...
on a separate but related note: when it comes to the notion of transformation or transcendence, the best language i have found has to do with the idea of saturation (my current favorite is the metaphor of marinating). this probably has a lot to do with my own processing style, but i've found that nothing beats time... just sitting... waiting... thinking... receiving...

as i give myself time, as i give attention to a certain problem, question or dream, i am never ceased to be shocked by how quickly a solution, answer or new possibility emerges.