“Life isn’t easy. It’s not meant to make us happy; it is meant to make us grow up. I grew into my own courage. It was there when I reached for it. “
–Perfect Practice
Choices
There is a false sense of entitlement that fuels the human ego. Somewhere, we got the idea that life was supposed to be easy and when it’s not, we can be greatly affected by it. This is where that victim within starts to rear its agonizing woe.
Most commonly folks want to change the environment or the conditions in order to feel at peace. This is certainly an understandable, intellectual choice. Though sadly for many, it’s habitually ineffective. In fact, for the most part, it extends misery.
The idea that conditions must change for peace is the most common misbelief I know of.
Peace is naturally within us until the mind begins with its opinions about how life should be. Acceptance is a natural attribute of clear consciousness. It is the dependency on conditions that builds and fortifies the conditioned mind which in turn creates unconscious habit and entitlement.
This is what I often call “The problem trying to solve the problem to retain the problem”. Conditioning is what takes us away from peace. We try to micromanage and alter conditions in order to have it, which actually takes us farther and farther away from it.
This idea is for the most dedicated students of the soul. This is not something that the mind will easily grasp. This is for higher education. I assure you it is a flawless truth. Our struggles are by divine design.
Yesterday I was recording the chapter in Perfect Practice entitled “Don’t shoot the Guru”. The punchline in the chapter is “…and the Guru is pain.“
Some days (or at times weeks) can seem to carry a heaviness about them. In the old days we called it “Biorhythms”. Meaning the rhythms of life. When we are aware that life experiences are always fluctuating we can detach from taking it personally. I like to call it “The weather of the mind”.
When atmospheric storms come it is clear that we are not to blame. We didn’t do something wrong to cause a hail storm, or high winds. We accept. Although possibly, it’s less than desirable, we are not thinking we can control the weather.
Our minds also go through atmospheric storms. And sometimes they build momentum and we begin to think, “Something is wrong”. There is nothing wrong. This is Life 101. I can state with authority that when we see the weather of the mind, rather than feeling responsible for it, there is a freedom that is undeniable. There may still be pain, but we cease adding to it.
Yesterday was a day that seemed I was sailing choppy seas. I felt so grateful for knowing without doubt that this too shall pass. I stayed the storm. And I really navigated very well. Amongst all the seemingly frustrating challenges were bright lights of mercy.
The most significant of these came when I went in to feed the evening chow to my older horse who is on mash. I was feeling a bit beat up and tired. Let’s just say I was less than inspired.
My young mare Grace came in the barn and my mind tried to take me to thoughts of —I don’t get enough time with my horse, there’s a heat wave coming, we won’t get to ride, I work too much, and on and on went the mind’s monologue of woe.
Then I thought, why don’t I just slip on bareback and steal a moment with my precious mare? I was so pleased as I opened the gate to the arena. She came right in, as if she knew exactly what I needed.
This may be the first time I’ve ever ridden in slippers. It was absolutely glorious. The evening light created shadows in the dust, and she carried me with a presence and a love that moved through her, right into my soul.
This one simple choice shifted my world from negativity to presence. We have so many more choices in life than we realize . When we begin to feel victimized, alone, separated, or detached from the world we often leave our deepest self. The one place of peace that is real and ever present.
There are always options. Sometimes those options are not clear. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. They do.
The life we live, is the life we create. And we create what we settle for. This world is abundant and yes, there is pain and suffering, death and disaster. This is the way of the world. And I’m not saying it’s easy to shift out of misery I’m simply saying it’s possible.
Thanks be to Grace for reminding me and unwinding me. She came and offered the gift of simple pleasure and divine unity. What more has the power to release us?
When we don’t “shoot the guru” we find the divine.
~M~
If this blog resonates with you, please consider reading my book Perfect Practice. You can read an excerpt from the book HERE.
