Tentomushi: spots of good luck for joyful living

When a ladybug lands on you... ahh! What a delightful surprise to discover this tiny titan with black spots, all perfectly arranged, perched on our shoulder. The amazing ladybug, which is actually a beetle rather than a bug, enjoys adorning itself in vibrant warning colors—a charm for us to admire and a signal for others to heed.

These delightful creatures, also referred to as ladybird beetles, can be found in various colors beyond the traditional black and red. Their surfaces may be decorated in bright yellow, pink, orange, and brown.

These bright colors and design are strategically painted to warn others, an invitation to keep a distance. Possibly saying with sassy confidence "Consider me a walking, talking 'Do Not Eat' sign. Bon appétit... elsewhere!"

A fun fact: these small creatures are adept hibernators. They enjoy snuggling up with their tribe under leaves, in the woods, and even in urban spaces. Once all cuddled together to stay warm and safe, they overwinter, falling asleep as the leaves fall and awakening when the first shoots of daffodils emerge from the earth.

Food is in abundant supply for the ladybug, and they have a robust appetite, eating up to 50 aphids and other insects a day! With the remarkable skill of smelling with their feet and antennae, they easily find dinner by accurately sensing their environment with vibrant perception and precision.

Long known for their symbolism as good luck, one can see why. Every garden owner would be proud to have a ladybug society meeting on their sunflowers. Knowing the garden is being protected, the landowners can sleep well at night.

In Japan, these little guys are referred to as tentomushi, and when one visits and is spotted, good luck is sure to come. There is positive fortune on the horizon for the recipient when a ladybug knocks on the door. Exciting!

Consider the facts: since most, if not all, of us have encountered a ladybug at some point in our lives, it seems we're all in for some sporadic good luck at any moment. The great news about good fortune and luck is that they never run out. There isn't a master with a switch that turns off our good luck when the clock strikes midnight and then dismisses our fortune.

Yet, we may miss out on noticing our luck and fortune because when we are too busy to even notice the ladybug on our shoulder, much of the luck and fortune slowly drifts past us with the wind. Without the awareness, the moments of cheer, goodness, and joyful living may not be observed nor magnified.

Through awareness and observation, we can truly perceive things; otherwise, fortune becomes less noticeable and continues to meander along as a trickling spring. So we allow our minds to be patient and observant. Through patience, we observe and notice that luck appears in unforeseen ways, ensuring we don't miss the delightful experiences of life.

As we wait and see, we become open and present. What is being shown to us in this moment? Where are the silver linings in the perceived clouds?

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As Lao Tzu teaches us:

"Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?"

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Sometimes it feels crazy to think of luck because "stuff happens," yet within all this stuff, there is always some fortune we haven't noticed. And even if we haven't noticed it, it will possibly just come true in some form anyway, because that is the way this crazy universe works. Joy and internal prosperity are at the heart of our natural states.

Good luck and fortune are then just guiding us back to our natural way of being. Open our eyes and ask, "What is this moment showing me right now?" When we are optimistic and inspired for a life fully lived, fortune and luck shower us; we have opened up our natural fortune portal, it has had a tune-up and is ready to run efficiently.

The fortune portal has a much harder time operating when it gets clogged with negativity, comparison, greed, and anger. These are foreign elements to the fortune portal and muck it up in a jiffy! Through our skillful thoughts and with awareness crafts and practices, we clear the debris and spring clean the dirt.

When we keep our awareness open, we welcome the ladybugs and all the luck they bring. We start to see the tiniest miracles in every moment, and our experiences become filled with wonder and amazement.

Just as our spotted friend intended, our lives are peppered with good luck and fortune. There is an endless supply of fantastic fortune when we just stop and smile at all the spots, because what we may initially see as chance is fortune waiting to be spotted.

Cheers!

Kether

"Choose to be optimistic,

if feels better."

-The Dalai Lama