October 1, 2025
Every so often, the right combination of words makes me stop in my tracks. That’s what today’s Thought of the Day and Question of the Day did for me. One pulls me into the vastness of eternity through poetry, and the other asks if I even know how to wander without a plan. Together, they make for an interesting reflection on what it means to be present, aware, and a little bit lost, in the best possible way.
Thought of the Day: To See the World in a Grain of Sand
*”To see a World in a Grain of Sand, and a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand,
And Eternity in an hour.”* — William Blake
Blake didn’t need 500 pages or a podcast series to make you rethink life. He just needed four lines. This thought is a reminder that everything we’re chasing might already be contained in the small moments we tend to overlook.
When was the last time you actually stopped to notice something tiny and let it expand your sense of wonder? For me, it was the way my youngest laughed at the cat chasing dust float in the sunlight. Dust! Floating nothingness, and yet to her, it was pure magic.
Infinity doesn’t live in the big promotions, the ten-year plans, or the next gadget (though I’ll admit, I love my gadgets). It lives in the fleeting, ordinary things, like holding your kid’s hand during a walk, or standing barefoot in the yard after the rain.
I’ve written before about how meaning can show up where you least expect it, even in the middle of stepping into cat vomit first thing in the morning. (Yes, that happened. Read about it here.) The lesson is the same: life is endless in the tiny details, if you let yourself see it.
Question of the Day: Do You Know How to Get Lost?
I’ll admit, this one hit me differently. My first instinct was to laugh. “Of course I know how to get lost. Just give me a set of IKEA instructions and no Allen wrench.” But then I thought deeper.
Do I actually know how to get lost anymore? Not just miss a highway exit, but intentionally step into the unknown without a map, a deadline, or a backup plan. When was the last time I allowed myself to wander without constantly checking my phone for directions or the time?
We live in a world where GPS is never more than a pocket away. Losing yourself physically is hard enough, but emotionally and mentally? That’s become even rarer. Getting lost used to mean exploration. Now it often means panic.
But maybe there’s wisdom in relearning the art of getting lost. Walking a new path just because it looks interesting. Reading a book with no intention other than curiosity. Playing with your kids without setting a timer.
Sometimes, being lost is the only way to find yourself. And I think that’s what today’s question is poking at: are we willing to loosen our grip on control long enough to discover something new about the world, or ourselves?
I explored a similar idea in this post about letting go of control. There’s freedom in not always knowing where you’re headed.
Bringing Them Together
Blake’s thought and today’s question are actually two sides of the same coin. Seeing the world in a grain of sand requires slowing down enough to notice. Getting lost requires loosening your grip on the wheel long enough to wander. Both are about surrendering certainty in exchange for depth.
So maybe the challenge today is simple: stop trying to master the map, and start noticing the grains of sand. Both infinity and discovery are waiting for you, if you’re willing to be present and maybe, just maybe, a little lost.
What about you, when was the last time you got truly, beautifully lost? Share your story in the comments below. And if you’d like a daily spark of reflection, curiosity, and maybe a smile, sign up for my free daily email here.
Leave a Reply