The Buried Treasure Beneath the Chaos

Dear Empowered Wayers:The world feels unstable right now.Invasions, recriminations, incessant fraud dominating the headlines. Everyone has an opinion about who’s right and who’s to blame, while the planet continues its ancient spin around the sun.I woke up this morning caught in a vortex of fear. My mind was cataloging every threat, every uncertainty, every reason to brace against what might come next.And I recognized the pattern: when I identify myself by my fears and worries, that’s all I see. The headlines and the chaos become my reality. My identity shifts to anxiety and my peace is shattered.It was time for a reset.The ReturnI went outside before dawn and sat beneath the waxing moon.The cool air on my skin. The chair holding me. My feet connected to the ground.I imagined myself as a tree, deeply rooted in the Earth, nourishment rising like sap through my trunk, my branches reaching toward something I couldn’t name but could feel.My heart opened to the simple miracle of a new day.The worry dissolved like mist and I came back to myself.Not to the self that scrolls headlines and calculates danger. I returned to the self that exists before thought, before opinion, before the need to be right or safe or certain.The Field Where No Division ExistsAfter meditation, I opened Insight Timer and found today’s Rumi quote waiting:If ten lamps are present in one place,each differs in form from one another.Yet, you can’t distinguishwhose radiance is whosewhen you focus on the light.In the field of spirit there is no division;no individuals exist.Sweet is the Onenessof the Friend with His friends.Catch hold of the spirit.Help this headstrong self disintegrate;That beneath ityou may discover unity,like a buried treasure.The timing felt deliberate. Precise.While the world argues about borders and boundaries, Rumi reminds us: focus on the light, not the lamp. In the field of spirit, there is no division.What Dissolves When You Let GoHere’s what I’m noticing: the “headstrong self” Rumi talks about? That’s the part of me that needs to understand everything, control the outcome, protect against every possible threat.That self is exhausted from being constantly vigilant and forever afraid.But beneath it—like a buried treasure—there’s something else. Something that doesn’t need the world to be stable to remain steady. Something that remembers unity even when everything looks fractured.You can’t think your way to that treasure. You can only drop in and allow yourself to surrender.Your Practice MattersYou may have a different practice to return to center, to the essence of you.Maybe it’s walking in nature or creating art or moving your body or sitting in silence with your morning coffee.Whatever it is, use it. Today. Right now if you can.Because when you settle your own energy, you change the energy of the world. Not in some abstract, woo-woo way, but in a real, tangible way.Every nervous system that calms sends ripples. Every heart that opens creates space. Every person who chooses presence over panic shifts the collective field.Your practice isn’t selfish. It’s essential.The InvitationJust for today, catch hold of the spirit. Let the headstrong self soften. Discover what’s beneath all that striving and protecting.The buried treasure of unity is always there, waiting. Underneath the fear and the chaos. When you look at your need to be right, allow a new identity to emerge. You will discover the buried treasure of unity waiting for you.You just have to remember to dig.Many blessings on your journey,KathrynP.S. I meditate using Insight Timer—it tracks my practice and connects me to teachers and wisdom like today’s Rumi quote. If you’re looking for a way to anchor your daily practice, you can find me there and explore the 250,000+ free meditations. Sometimes the teacher you need finds you exactly when you’re ready.Empowered Way is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit empoweredway.substack.com