This week Awesome Stories bring you street art, befriending the universe, and finding grace.

Befriending the Universe

Death is our friend precisely because it brings us into absolute and passionate presence with all that is here, that is natural, that is love. ~ Alice James

This article and TED Talk by Emily Levine make a good case for befriending the universe, unless you really like to struggle. What she means by befriending is to accept the cycles of life, particularly that we will die. Emily offers a clever, bittersweet reflection on the art of befriending our death as she faces her own terminal illness. She also reminds us that denying death disconnects us from reality, nature, and the wholeness of life. By accepting death, we more fully embrace life and our role in the universe.

Fanciful Street Art

Artist Tom Bob has a vivid imagination and passion for transforming city objects into street art. I find his whimsical creations to be immensely entertaining. I hope that he continues his quest to bring more play, creativity, and interaction to the streets of New York and other cities around the world. You can see more of his fanciful collection in this Bored Panda article called There’s a Genius Street Artist. Thanks Tom!

Finding Grace

Surrender isn’t a sacrifice of the known, but rather a celebration of the infinite. ~ Nipun Mehta

Service Space founder, Nipun Mehta, recently gave a wise and passionate commencement speech at Assumption College. He talks about his gradual shift from a life of personal gain to one of service. Each act of letting go brought a deeper capacity within. While technology depends on more and more control over life, virtue requires more and more surrender to life. The article is filled with wisdom about how to build a deeply meaningful and impactful life. Nipun suggests that the core foundations are generosity, grace, and gratitude.  As we learn to trust the interconnected web of life, grace grows. Gratitude goes deeper when we appreciate all the gifts of life, regardless of whether they fit our expectations. Our aliveness is a measure of our awareness that everything — the good, the bad and the ugly — is a precious gift.

May your week be full of acceptance, play, and grace.