Last Saturday, I attended a writing session hosted by Isis. Unlike my usual calm approach, I arrived feeling worried and rushed because of the unfinished items on my to-do list. Chief among those tasks was the urgent need to complete this week’s blog post—something I believed absolutely must be done before the weekend.
But amazingly, during the writing session, I felt like I received a massive gift from the universe. I felt an irresistible urge to write out something deep inside me—not the post I thought I should write, but all the things my soul was trying to speak out loud.
Under Isis’s guidance, we began a flash fiction exercise. We were meant to conjure an image in our minds and then write it all down. Isis guided us through three separate 25-minute sessions to figure out our idea, draft it, fix it, and then share. But at that moment, the creative urge within me was so strong that I just kept writing until the story reached its natural end. The word limit was supposed to be 100–150 words, but I ended up writing nearly 850. In the process, the story seemed to give me the answer to: What should I do next?
This was the prompt I received that day. When I first saw it, I had no idea where it would lead. But as I kept writing, it certainly guided me toward some deep lessons of the mind. It was so fascinating to figure that out and receive it as a gift from the universe.
I saved here the feelings and the content I created that afternoon. I didn’t expect this outcome, but it just happened.
Here is what I had written that day.
…….
A treasure gift from an unexpected guest
The Old Man arrived with a mysterious box
The old man paused three steps from the door, the small package in his hand feeling no heavier than a feather, yet containing the weight of a universe. He looked every bit the sage, with eyes that seemed to hold both immense wisdom and quiet confidence. As his hand reached out, he hesitated, his gaze fixed on the wood grain, as if trying to crystallize an abstract thought—perhaps the very narrative he was about to share, or the critical questions he needed to ask. His caution was palpable; the words he carried felt like potent agents of change, capable of altering the life of the person behind the door in a single, irreversible moment.
Knock, knock, knock.
The door swung inward. A girl stood there, clearly interrupted, her movement suggesting she had been urgently searching for something just moments before. When her eyes met his, a welcoming smile appeared, but a deep seam of worry and insecurity was etched beneath its surface. The man instantly recognized the conflict in her gaze. He needed to ensure her spirit was settled before beginning, for he knew, from the deep well of his experience, that raw emotions were hard to manage, especially for the young. He knew precisely how to help.
He took a respectful half-step upward, adopting a demeanor of calm and mindfulness. “Dear one,” he said softly, “don’t worry. I have brought you something.”
He opened a simple leather satchel and withdrew a wooden box. Handing it to her, his voice grew firm. “This object will help you overcome countless troubles in your life.”
The girl’s eyes brightened with a spark of immediate curiosity—a trait she clung to tightly. This innate wonder, unseen by most, was a vibration only felt by those who observed with immense patience and mindful intent.
The girl open every layers of the box with curiousity
She accepted the box and, suppressing the logical thought that a single object could solve all problems, she began to open it with wide-eyed expectation.
Layer by layer, the box unfolded. Inside, it was strikingly unbalanced: one side seemed empty, while the other was clearly full.
“That,” the old man explained, gently guiding her focus, “is life itself—unbalance. You see it all the time.”
A small, internal jump of recognition went through the girl. One side full, one side empty. Just like my soul right now. One part curious, the other cautious. She pushed the thought aside and continued.
She opened the next layer to find a smaller box made of solid, heavy metal. “Oh, this is heavy,” she murmured to herself.
“That is what is inside your mind,” the man led. “Your worries.”
“I have to know what is in it,” she replied, her curiosity—the great engine of her future—now running at full speed.
She unlatched the metal box. To her surprise, it was completely solid. It was designed as a box but had no interior. “You fooled me,” she thought, stepping back in disappointment.
“Let’s look at it again” the man guided.
She looked deeper at the solid metal object. In its polished, dark surface, she saw reflections: colors, shadows, mixed patterns that felt like trash and yet, somehow, like magic—a little bit shiny, a little bit mysterious.
“Try to see it with curiosity,” the man explained. “At first, it looks like a mess. But if you research it deeper, you will know what to do with this mess. Maybe… treasures. Let’s try.”
Visualizing a treasure, her inner joy became obvious, a clear, forming plan already taking shape in her mind.
The feeling we are all looking for
“Come a little closer,” the man beckoned.
She leaned in, trying to figure something out. As her focus sharpened, her hand instinctively dipped into the box again. She was now holding something soft, comfortable, like a plush toy but without a recognizable shape. It existed in its own formless, gentle way.
“What is it?” the girl frowned.
“That,” the man answered, “is what you are looking for.”
“No, I have never looked for anything like this,” she insisted.
But then she stood rooted to the spot. “Wait, I feel that.” She held the soft object, examining it, then slowly raised it and hugged it tightly. She felt a profound sense of security, of achievement, of home. The worries vanished. She felt, simply, alive.
“I don’t understand,” she whispered. “Why am I looking for something like this?”
“Because you need something to fight for, to live for, to be sure of,” the man said. “And this is it. Something that feels like home.”
“But why?”
“Look deeper into your heart. It already knows what it wants. Listen to it.”
“Hmm. I will keep that in mind.” The girl sighed, a heavy, settling exhale. Her hand went back into the box, but this time, she felt neither metal nor plush, but a cool, guiding breeze. The breeze seemed to sigh across her entire back, settling her mind. She stepped back, silent, processing.
“You must know everything about me,” the girl finally said, her tone firm.
“Why do you think that?” the man questioned.
“Because I can feel the energy, what just happened in a second. The experience of all that energy. I can’t express it, but you feel like an old school friend, or a relative—someone who witnessed me growing up. A distinct, old part that I’ve lost for a long time.”
“If that is what you think, then that is what it is.”
She closed the box. Something in her mind and body felt made up, whole, and new.
“I have seen a lot,” she said with deep gratitude. “I don’t know how to describe it in words, but you know, things happen for a reason.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” the man responded with a pleased smile. He turned slowly and walked away down the corridor.
A new chapter begins now
The girl closed her door and returned to her apartment. Her dog greeted her, tail waving happily. “Hey, little one,” she spoke, a short, contented sigh escaping her. “I just received a big lesson from the universe.”
The dog wagged harder, wanting more. “Okay, baby, that was a lot,” she giggled. “The unbalance life, a treasure within our mind, a peace that we are ready to fight for, a helping hand from the universe for the right things we are trying to do. That is a lot, baby.”
The dog’s eyes seemed to open a little wider in understanding. “And you know what?” she said, looking into his eyes with immense admiration. “Everything is already here. In the box. Within us. Right?”
She hugged her dog tightly. “Thank you for being a part of my life. I love you.” The dog leaned his head on her shoulder, stopped moving, and closed his eyes, as if he too had received a gift from her.
Love? Peace? Appreciation? We don’t know the exact name.
But the girl, the dog, and the man knew. Clearly, in their souls, something had changed.
And now, they would both be better able to benefit others with what they had found: the key to living their life.
