Meter stick

How do we know if a meter stick is actually the length of a meter?

Easy, you grab a second meter stick and hold them side by side. Wait a minute. How do we know if that second meter stick is truly a meter?

So we head to the hardware store and compare again. But how do we know if that meter stick is a meter?

Next we go to the manufacturer. How does the manufacturer know that their meter stick is actually a meter? (I think you get the idea.)

Eventually, our journey would take us to a small shop in Sèvres, France. There we would find the world’s first meter stick. It’s a bar hung on the wall with the word “metre” above it.

The question is: How do we know if that bar is actually a meter?

The answer, of course, isn’t to continue to go in circles. No, we need to accept and believe that the bar is the length of a meter. This is what I mean when I say, “It’s all invented.” We have built our entire lives around these imaginary, invisible systems.

There is no formula to live a life of authenticity. We can’t simply follow the step by step set of instructions. It’s not a straight path. And yes, we all stumble while on it.

It’s natural to say, “I’m not taking another step. It’s dark and I need the light first to show me the way.” But what’s essential, is taking that step into the dark and having the faith that the light will shine.