My knees bent at every stride, absorbing the rhythmic movement of the cantering horse beneath me, as my eyes, attentively following the circular path before me, stabilized my apprehensive body. The adrenaline of the ongoing competition pumped through my veins. My coach's reminder echoed in my mind: “Follow the horse’s motion, he can sense your tension.” Cruising through the arena, I adjusted my positioning as I savored the unmistakable sensation of equestrian vaulting (and a likely first place). A combination of acrobatic gymnastics and dance on horseback, my sport routinely challenges my bravery, as every new move, such as the split leap I was about to attempt, requires determination and focus. I sprung into the air, knees locked and toes pointed. One second, I was weightless––the next, I was lying on the ground, unconscious. 

As my eyelids fluttered open, our horse cantered back around the sandy circle, closing a loop around me. And there, in the middle of a perfectly nondescript arena, I realized that life itself is that loop––the miracle of beginning and the mystery of the end forever welded together in a circle, enveloping each of us. The fear and pain I felt as I collapsed were numbed by my coach and friends, running over to check on me. Could there be a more poignant reminder that the circle of life does not revolve exclusively around myself? Others stand alongside me in the center. We need one another, connected by much more than what drives us apart. Confronted with the touching demonstrations of care from my teammates gathered to help me stand back up, an inspiring claim by Martin Luther King resonated with me: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’.” This invitation to abandon individualism and reach out to those around us makes me reflect on the meaning of life as an experience of sharing, in our hardships and successes alike. 

The beauty and poignancy of our lives lie in the recognition of our own incompleteness and of the indispensability of others. Each of us is unique, but is further enriched by the diversity of our fellow beings. The true value of our existence comes from our ability to empathize and help even when it may dislodge us from our privileged position at the center of the life circle. Life is a perpetual challenge, motivating us all to learn from our shortcomings and improve relentlessly; it tests our willingness to contribute to the common good. For some, however, life may even represent a constant competition, the urge to impose their superiority at the expense of others––as in my vaulting tournament. But regardless of whether I earn a shining blue ribbon, come flying off the horse, or go home in last place, I have learned that we can only reach a true victory if we tackle life as a team, with courage and compassion.

The following morning, I stood once more in the arena, reinvigorated––my body and breath synchronized with my horse. I lifted off effortlessly, creating an elegant split, and landed delicately, smiling with gratitude for my animal companion. Just as our vaulters rely on him in the ring, we humans depend on the harmony of all living organisms in the circle of life. This inclusive circle must respect and celebrate not only the diversity of humankind but also that of our biosphere. We must think of ourselves as a multifaceted whole, composed of interrelated beings. If we are not in peaceful syntony with all life on Earth, we fall, as I fell from my horse. We collapse into chaos and complete destruction––of ourselves and of our planet.

Cantering gleefully around our arena, held up in the air by my two teammates, I marvel at the perfect equilibrium of life, a precious and precarious gift which we must preserve and nurture collectively. And I think it is not a coincidence that the Greeks used not just one but three different words to define life––bios, zoe, and psuche. They express the need to differentiate between human life, natural life, and the life of the soul, yet they teach us that only their coexistence can save us. 

Reference

Martin Luther King Jr. “Conquering Self-Centeredness.” August 11, 1957, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery Alabama.