Perspective & Practice

Another day dawns, the first thought that arrives as I sit down to write is, "Back to the grind" or the grace - depends on how you look at it.  It ALWAYS depends on how you look at it.  If changing my perspective was only as easy as putting on a different pair of glasses THEN the world would be perfect. Right? Doubtful.  We’d all be so worried that someone was going to steal our glasses or that we might break them that we’d be holed up in our homes worse than we are now searching online for a newer better pair of glasses to fix this new paranoia.  Always searching, never satisfied.  The story of most people’s miserable lives, including mine, no exceptions.  Many spiritual teachers and writers say that if you are constantly searching then will never find what you’re looking for because you have basically told the Universe that your faith is in the search, the desperation, the difficulty versus the hope, the happiness, the homecoming.  This homecoming being the firm belief that we can be happy, anytime, if we choose to experience life that way.  The belief that while some things are worth waiting for, happiness, contentment, is not one of them because happiness are within our grasp as a result of it being within us – independent of outer experiences because it is our inner birthright.  I say that because if you believe in a God and that you are a divine creation & manifestation of a God who is kind, loving, compassionate, and joyful then how can you not be the same.  The God-spark within us keeps our heart beating, our breath flowing, and our mind observing.  By meditating on that constant presence that keeps us alive then we can’t help but know in some deep profound way that we have all we need within us because we have the power of Life within us.  And that power is infinite because it is not only of God but it IS God.  And with God, “in Christ, all things are possible,” says the Holy Book of Christians.

On the contrary though, the yogic text, The Bhagavad Gita, reminds us to not get attached to the fruits of our actions – the end product, Enlightenment, Heaven.  The lesson here surrounds our difficulty and even resistance to enjoying the moment and acting or serving for the sake of serving instead of for external fame and glory.  You do it because it’s how you honor God and the talents you are blessed with, end of story.  If every time I cooked something, I expected my guests to LOVE it or I would be devastated then I would constantly be in a state of anxiety and never truly enjoy the act of creating a nourishing meal.  Eventually I would stop cooking, stop using my gift, because I had turned my passion and pleasure into fear and frustration.  That’s how I always know when it’s time to take a break.  When I stop sleeping, start crying, and keep talking in circles, then I know I’ve wandered off the path into the darkness toward the dead end.  Fortunately, I’ve had enough of these detours to know them and not freak out about them…too severely…most of the time.  So I lace up my shoes and start walking until I’m ready to roll around on my mat and eventually come to rest on my cushion.  A glance up at my alter now lit with candles and incense and see a hand-drawn reminder by my teacher that quotes Michael Singer: “The great mystery begins once you take that seat deep within.”

In gratitude for space and a place without so that I can find the seat within.  Namaste.