The border between our minds and reality is often more permeable than we realize. None of us have full awareness of the forces that guide our thoughts down certain paths each day. Like travelers through a lush forest, we see only what is immediately before us and have little sense of the vast network of roots and canopy that unite all things nearby and far off. Our thought patterns are shaped by so many interlocking factors – our biology, environment, experiences, and beliefs all leave traces we perceive as our own intentions and free will. Yet how much do any of us truly dictate the course of our musings at any moment? Much lies beyond conscious control, governed by mechanisms as unfathomable as the growth of trees. Our minds wander as surely as clouds drift on unseen winds. Perhaps it is healthier to embrace this lack of complete dominion over our mental states. When worries or regrets emerge, one need not battle for authority, but gently guide attention elsewhere. Dark paths hold no power if not continually reinforced by resistance or obsession. Even unpleasant thoughts serve purposes beyond what meets the eye. Through acceptance of ambiguity in ourselves comes freedom from falsely perceived failings. With soft breath we release assumed responsibility over that which we do not truly lead. The frontiers of mind and world are more fluid than boundaries imply; all flows as one vast current nourishing unseen parts of a whole too magnificent to comprehend alone. In surrender lies unexpected peace.