When I first stumbled upon Emily Dickinson's beautiful invitation to dwell in possibility, it felt like a deep, warm breath of fresh air. To dwell means to live somewhere, to make a home within a certain state of being. Often, we spend our lives dwelling in the past, replaying old mistakes, or dwelling in the shadows of our fears. But to dwell in possibility is to open all the windows of your soul and let the light of 'what if' stream in. It is about choosing to inhabit a space where the future isn't just a scary unknown, but a garden of potential waiting to bloom.
In our everyday lives, it is so easy to become stuck in the concrete and the certain. We follow our routines, we check our to-do lists, and we focus on the walls we have built around our comfort zones. We look at our current circumstances and say, 'This is all there is.' But possibility lives in the margins, in the quiet moments between our tasks, and in the tiny sparks of curiosity that we often ignore because we are too busy being practical. Real magic happens when we stop looking at what is fixed and start looking at what could be.
I remember a time when I felt quite stuck myself. I was sitting by a small, murky pond, feeling like my path was entirely set and perhaps a bit too narrow. I was so focused on the mud beneath my feet that I forgot to look up at the sky. Then, I noticed a tiny dragonfly darting through the reeds, moving with such effortless grace and direction. It didn't know where it would land next, but it moved with total confidence in the air around it. That moment reminded me that even when the ground feels heavy, the air is full of movement and opportunity. I decided right then to stop mourning the mud and start noticing the breeze.
We can all practice this by shifting our inner dialogue. Instead of asking why something didn't work out, try asking what new door might be opening because of it. Instead of seeing a blank page as an intimidating void, try seeing it as a place where any story can begin. It is a gentle shift, but it changes the entire landscape of your heart.
Today, I want to encourage you to take just one small step into that space of wonder. Find one thing in your life right now that feels uncertain, and instead of pulling away, try to sit with it. Ask yourself what beautiful thing might be hiding inside that uncertainty. Let yourself linger in the wonder of what might happen next.