I got drawn into the series Marco Polo on Netflix. There is an episode where the Khan’s heir is about to be married, and on that day meant for celebration, word arrives that a cousin has challenged Kublai Khan’s rule.
Kublai calls a war council. The tent fills with generals,and torchlight flickering on silk banners. He stands before them, voice booming, hand striking the throne as he demands strategy and retaliation. The air vibrates with fury and the fear of losing everything he has built.
Then the Empress walks in, calm and unshaken. She listens for a moment, then ends the meeting and dismisses the council.
Kublai is furious that she has overruled him. She looks at him and says, “Don’t ruin today with talk of tomorrow.”
He rises, trembling with anger. “What is this all for, if not for tomorrow?”
Those lines made me think. Both truths felt alive in that moment, the calm wisdom of the Empress and the steady foresight of the Khan. Their voices still echo in us.
The Empress reminds us to breathe, and the Khan reminds us to plan ahead. One teaches presence, and the other preparation.
If we lose the Empress, we forget how to rest in what is good right now. If we lose the Khan, we forget that tomorrow depends on the care we give today.
Presence without planning can lose its grounding, and planning without presence can lose its heart.
The Empress and the Khan both live within us, the one who breathes and the one who looks ahead. Somewhere between them is the art of living, awake to this moment yet steady enough to meet the next.
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Keith Rowe is a breathworker, teacher, and founder of Vital Healing, a nonprofit that helps people reconnect with the wisdom of their heart through through breathwork, inner exploration, and walking meditation.
He is co-creator of the upcoming Walking Pilgrim app, a 33-day journey of mindful walking and presence. Sign up to receive updates for when it is released at walkingpilgrim.com.