A book of daily inspiration I enjoy, called “Origins” – which draws from wisdom from African traditions, had a quotation the other day that touched me. It said: “In the forest, when the branches quarrel, the roots embrace,” from a West African oral tradition.

This quotation brought to mind all the struggles and distress we humans experience as we inhabit the planet together. We can run into difficult interactions in our families, communities, between nations, between cultures and religions. Often, these challenges seem overwhelming and impossible to resolve, as we experience the problem as being “over there” in the other person or group. It’s human nature for us to do this. For me, it helps to hold the thought that there is a fundamental, underlying unity that connects us all, no matter who we are and regardless of what may be happening “in the branches”, on the surface of things.

For this week’s experiment, I invite you to explore what happens for you when you remember that “when the branches quarrel, the roots embrace” as you go through daily interactions with people. Does a sense that we are all connected, that there is an underlying unity, create less distress? Does that idea offer comfort or ease, or does it feel impossible to imagine that we are all connected under the surface of things? Whatever your response, notice what you experience when you remember that “in the forest, when the branches quarrel, the roots embrace” when you’re in the middle of an interaction with someone or a situation that’s difficult for you.

The point here is to expand our awareness of how we experience people at “the other” – the branches, or as part of a unified field of connection, “the roots”. This doesn’t mean we have to ignore or allow actions or behaviors that are harmful or unacceptable. It doesn’t mean that we have to overlook what isn’t working, or what’s deeply and truly wrong. It does mean that, even when we’re aware of what needs to be changed or what isn’t acceptable, we also have an awareness of the underlying connection we have with those who act in ways we cannot condone.

As always, please allow yourself mixed feelings of whatever kind, and bring along curiosity as your companion. The purpose of this experiment is to play with the stance you take as you engage others and the impact of realizing that there is a fundamental unity underlying any sense of difference or antagonism.