Mystics use the lotus flower as a symbol of their mission in life. The lotus flower is born in slimy sludge and deep darkness. With all the power at its command, and with single-mindedness, the lotus rises above its surroundings to enjoy the sunshine.
The darkness is symbolic of the world we live in, and the sunlight is symbolic of where we are aspiring to go.
From a mystic’s perspective, this world was created by God. In that creation there is no imperfection. All the things we consider bad, such as greed, cruelty, crime, violence, have a purpose. It is a part of the grand design.
The lotus reminds the mystic that his or her task is to rise above darkness, without changing the darkness itself. Consider what would happen to the lotus if the murky water were to become pure and clean.
For eons, the nature of the stars has not changed. Air still performs the same function it did thousands of years ago. The birds still chirp, the sun rises and sets. Similarly, from our short perspective, human nature has basically not changed. Avarice is not new and not peculiar to this age. Thinking that it is new would be like imagining the sun had started to rise only in this age of ours and only in the United States.
For a lotus flower, the effort to rise is a personal one. It is not dependent on what others do or do not do. Similarly, a mystic does not wish to change the world in which she lives. He or she welcomes and loves the world as it is, and makes a supreme personal effort to rise above it.
balbirmathur.com 
What a beautiful reminder of what this journey is truly about. I will now greet my days thinking of the lotus flower and its ability to look for the light.
thank you!