There are days when I wish life was different; when I wish it was somehow easier. Days when I feel overwhelmed, not sure if I can handle another death or injustice or even everyday bad news. Then I remember: resistance causes me pain; loving-presence brings me peace. So I sit down, feel my breath, and stay. I allow for the raw, vulnerable places, and gradually shift from resistance to acceptance. Instead of wanting things to be different, I experience what is. Within each of us, there is an awareness that's like the ocean. It's spacious and wise; it's brave and kind. And it's accessed in a simple way: staying with one breath and then another.
My overwhelm doesn't come from the circumstances of life. It comes from my own actions. When I resist or judge my experience; when I distract from my experience; when I numb my experience, I separate from what I most value: love, presence, compassion, connection, integrity, and wisdom. Staying awake is a brave path. Sometimes I want to go back to sleep. But the more days I show up for life, as is, the more I touch freedom. The more I let things be messy, real, and raw, the more I experience connection. The more I stay with myself and others—even when, especially when, it's hard—the more I cultivate compassion. I'm trying to be both brave and kind; I'm trying to be with what is.
PS: This is me, real and open to what is:
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Thank you so much for sharing, dear Joy! These wise words of yours strongly resonate with me and are the perfect partner for the new mantra I chose for myself a couple of days ago 'work with what is'. It's such a wonderful experience to feel connected across the ocean.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to hear from you, Elke. You are such a bright, beautiful light from across the ocean. Working with what is, being with what is--it's a wonderful, life-long practice.
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