Finding Your Center

I once stood at the center of the world.

I was at the line of 0° latitude, 0 minutes, 0 seconds. 

Yes, a midpoint between the north and south pole: I was in Quito, Ecuador.

If you stand in that place during the spring or autumn equinox, you won’t see your shadow. The sun would be crossing the equator directly overhead.

Wouldn’t that be cool? 

To start out at zero? 

You could then go in any direction you choose.

North. South. East. West.

You could follow one of the many lines on the globe that astronomer/poet Eratosthenes first imagined back in the third century BC. 

Imagine not seeing your own shadow in that moment because the sun is shining directly down upon you.

No shadow at all.

Imagine a life where for a moment you can’t see your own dark side. 

The muddier parts of your life might not be visible. You couldn’t see your shrunken self. Things you did or said that you regret would be invisible. 

You could only see light. 

Where are you relative to your own center right now? What are your coordinates?

Are you centered and grounded at your own 0°? Or are you lilting a little to the west? A little south? 

Or are you lost in the shadows and trying to find your way back?

There are no seasons at the equator. 

There is no real summer, fall, winter, or spring due to the position of the sun. At the equator, you generally experience 12 hours of sunlight every day—sunrise and sunset are always at 6:00 am and 6:00 pm.

Imagine having that kind of consistency.

The indigenous peoples who lived where I was 1000 years ago—in Quito, Ecuador—knew that they were at the middle of the world. 

Quito means “the people of the Center.” 

And at that time, Quito was the main center of business in that region. People believed it was important to receive the blessing of the sun before doing any kind of business.

But what if you don’t live in Quito?

What if you live in some other place (which is most of the world) where you can see shadows galore? Where sometimes night stretches too long for any of us to handle?

Even in those places, we can always come back to our center. 

We can find that starting place. 

Give ourselves a fresh start at 0 degrees. 

Lao Tzu said, “At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are, and you know what you want.” 

If you ever become off center, imagine for a moment that you are one of those early explorers first figuring out where the center is.

Influential teacher and philosopher Confucius held this wish for us. He said, “I want you to be everything that’s you, deep at the center of your being.” 

We can always access find our own 0° latitude, 0 minutes, 0 seconds.

It might be by spending time with people who ground you. Going to places that center you. Participating in activities that help you reconnect with yourself. Journeying within to connect with something greater through prayer or meditation.

What does it take to find your center?

And what sunshine might find you there if you go?

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