Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love. -Albert Einstein

What does it mean to fall in love? How have you experienced it?

Falling in love is an amazing sensation. Something that jars us from our "routine" way of being and feeling. It inspires you to break your patterns, and explore new, unfamiliar territory. For me, being in love has dramatically changed my life. And it is absolutely the best, most beautiful thing in my life. 

It seems not very long ago, when I fell in love and was driven by some unknown force to take bold actions, which included resigning from my wonderful job in New York City, saying goodbye to my beloved friends and family, taking an early release from my graduate studies at the university where I was studying, leaving the amazing city of New York and the familiarity of home AND then moving across the Atlantic to Germany. 

I moved to Germany in 2005, to be closer to my beloved! A language I did not speak, a culture I did not

know, a place that was new and unfamiliar, a university system that was so different from what I knew in New York, and a whole host of personal challenges is what awaited me in Germany. Yes, the five years in Deutschland were not the easiest, and yet, it was the best decision I made in my life. This was all as a result of me "falling in love".

Because I took what I call a "bold" step for me, I learnt a whole deal about who I am. I explored the beautiful forests throughout Germany, where I went on my first hiking trips. I made new friends who inspired and moved me. I have delighted in eating the most delicious and creative cakes and pastries one could ever find, especially ones made by mother-in-law, and not to mention, the insanely mouth-watering fresh breads! I have made strides in the German language and experienced the beauty and melody of the language. I went beyond my comfort-zone, over and over again, breaking new ground each time. In 2008, I decided to start my own company and take the path of an entrepreneur. And I have taken up writing and creating, a long lost passion rekindled.

So falling in love with someone special has indeed been special beyond words, uncovering so much beauty and treasures that lay within me and in my life. And each time we fall in love, we unearth something yet unknown, yet unfamiliar. And we do fall in love over and over again, all the time, don't we? Think about all the times you fell in love. 

Recently, I have fallen in love with the grand expanse of the sky I see every day.
I have fallen in love with the two beautiful cats in our neighborhood called Miami and Orlando! 
I have fallen in love with the chocolate cake that was made for my birthday by the one I love.
I have fallen in love with taking new avenues as there is so much adventure in paths not taken yet.

And most of all, in doing all of this, I have fallen in love with myself, again.

Sending you my love,

Sophia

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. -Albert Einstein

The beauty of genuine laughter! Laughter has a force of its own as it breaks downs walls and opens up hearts. That is a miracle. And is it not a miracle how gloriously colorful a peacock's neck is? The sunflower moving in the direction of the sun or the caterpillar transforming into a butterfly- a form of miracle. It seems also quite miraculous how the night changes into day and the heat of the sun is relieved by the moisture of the rains.

Nature offers innumerable examples of miracles. The human body itself is amazing. It is a miracle how these trillions of cells within my body are functioning in harmony with each other to accomplish complex tasks. Each moment, they know exactly what to do without my instructions! The immense capacity of our body to heal and restore itself to its natural state of health is also miraculous. Yet, it seems only natural that the body can heal on its own. Even if we are in the pink of health, there is a tendency to look outside of us for our happiness, for our miracles. What would happen when we look within ourselves - when we acknowledge the wisdom embodied within us? A miracle?

Yet, I wonder what inspired Einstein to write those words. When I think about what his statement means to me, a certain stillness fills me and touches a deep core within me. What does it mean to live as though everything is a miracle? When I see this life as an ongoing miraculous event, everything looks different. How I engage with the world and its various dimensions becomes a means to free myself from the heaviness of life, from its experience of becoming dry or dull. So how do I engage? By inviting a change in how I view things, by inviting wonder and awe about everything. This is then the new characteristic taken on by all that was once ordinary and mundane: wonderment, awe, plentiful, dynamic, exciting. Nothing then remains ordinary as it is only my perspective that can turn something into the mundane. By tearing apart that lens, breaking free of the viewpoint that distinguishes, makes things into dichotomies and creates dualities, I can experience everything in its vastness; as though it were all a miracle. This is what it means to me to live as though everything is a miracle. 

There are as many ways to look at this matter as there are people who are willing to reflect on it. And no one way is right or wrong. What does it mean to you to live life as a miracle? Reflect on it and share with me your thoughts. I would love to hear from you.

-Sophia Ojha