I recently went on a hike with my family through Red Rocks in Las Vegas where we viewed Indian rock art. Below is one of the artifacts.

I looked at it for a while, and it occurred to me that the artifact (like the number 8) is symbolic of life. It provides the illusion of two separate circles. But upon close examination, it’s just one connected line with no beginning and no end.

It’s a lot like life – A continuous process with no beginning and no end. It’s a process that, like the continuous line forming the artifact, can be rearranged into many different forms and figures. And no matter how many different forms and figures are created, just like the underlying line forming the artifact, the connectivity never ceases – It is just appears that way as an illusion.

In life we often see the separate forms and figures, and overlook the connected line. And maybe that’s how it was intended. It allows us to experience our spiritual potential through the manifestation of different creations. But it can make life difficult when we continually see each other as separate. We lose compassion and empathy for others. We forget that we all came from the same place – that we are all part of the same connected line. We mistake the illusion for the reality.

And that’s where meditation, reflection or prayer comes in. Whatever we call it, spending a few minutes each day reflecting on our connected line may help remind us that we are not separate forms and figures, but rather connected pieces of the same puzzle – And ultimately what we do to or for another we are really doing to or for ourselves.

Timothy Velner is a husband, father, attorney and author living in Minneapolis. You can follow his daily blog – a series of discussions between the worry-self and the present-self at – thespiritualgym.me