Cliche as they may be, I like my proverbs. Granted, sometimes they can be a shortcut to thinking. However, other times they’re little nuggets that have survived the test of time & attention spans.
And, one of those close to my heart is : “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
Now, this isn’t an admonition for any sort of lifestyle change. And, I’m certainly not advocating for you to quit your job & to focus on a life of quiet contemplation. Or, to pursue some sort of vacant and hedonistic path. Nor am I implying that you should give up your life of quiet contemplation & get a job.
I’m simply asking : “Do you enjoy your life?”
I could get more specific & ask if you enjoy your : job, partner, solitude, vocation, hobbies, spiritual path, downtime, free time, play time, good times, bad times, and/or lifetimes – but, I won’t.
Because, if you were really being honest & open with yourself – you, probably, already knew the answer to all of these when I asked the original question. Before you had to start mentally explaining and/or qualifying your answer. And, before you reached into your mind & started breaking things down, apart – and, hopefully, not breaking yourself down.
“Do you enjoy your life?”
Let me ask the same question in a different manner :
“How many moments during your day do you stop, bring your awareness into your specific location within Space/Time and appreciate what’s being presented to you?”
Can you allow it all to be without labels, without judgement, and without any sort of self-deception?
Now, am I chiding anyone for not being grateful for every single second of the day? Am I saying that you should ignore all of the red flags that the Universe is sending you – by putting on rosy-colored glasses? I most certainly am not.
There’s a parable/joke that was a favorite of several of my more rascally teachers.
I’ll try to sum it up here :
Once Upon A Time, there was a young man who spent his days meditating in an ashram.
After some time, he reached a certain state of enlightenment – whatever that is.
He went to his Sensei and said, “I’ve experienced God. And I and everything else are It.”
The Sensei sighed and said, “Yes, yes. Very nice, my friend. You have figured out The Great Master Who Makes The Grass Green.”
The young man replied, “Sensei, there is no more that you can teach me. I’m ready to return into the World.”
“Very well, my friend”, said the Sensei, “You should follow your own Path. A million blessings. Go with God. Now, will that be cash or card?”
After leaving the ashram – the man continued down the road towards the nearest bustling city to seek his fame & fortune as a Holy Man.
When, he met a peddling salesperson selling magick beans.
He recognized and acknowledged the God Self within both the peddling salesperson & the beans.
He also recognized that the Storyteller was mixing fables for silly comedic effect.
He continued down The Path.
Lo and behold, there before him was an elephant stampeding down the road straight towards his Enlightened Self – whatever that means.
“Never fear!”, he told the onlookers – while ripping open his shirt to reveal the Holy S of Krypton – offering Hope & Salvation for all who gazed upon it (for there were no telephone booths along this road – as it is 2022).
“I am God. You are God. The elephant is God. It will not harm me! For, we are all One and we are all together. Goo Goo Ga Joob!”
The young man closed his eyes in absolute confidence & assurance.
And there was darkness.
And there was light.
And after a rather extensive stint in the local hospital – the young, very confused man returned to his Sensei.
“Sensei”, he said, “I am very confused.”
“Yes, I read that.”, said the Sensei.
The young man continued, “I felt and knew that the elephant and I were both God. We were both One. And yet, I was still almost reduced to street pizza. WTF?”
“You forgot one thing”, the Sensei replied sternly.
“Please, lay it on me, oh hippest of the holy hipsters or be prepared in your Great Cosmic Wisdom to offer up a refund!”, cried the young man.
“OK. You forgot two things then. First, no refunds. Second, you forgot that the guy standing beside the road, yelling at you to ‘get the hell out of the way of the stampeding elephant, you fool’ was also God.”
The young man’s head exploded like that scene in Scanners.
Credits rolled.
Curtains went up.
And we all groaned & left the theater – more perplexed than ever.
In other words : there are too many variables in the Great Tapestry of Life, The Universe & Everything to assume that everything will be all hunky-dory 100% of the time.
But…
Are you letting the “bad” bleed into all of the rest?
Is something that you remember from fifteen years ago affecting your Now?
Or, maybe something that you imagine happening tomorrow?
Remember two posts ago, when I asked you to put your hand over the center of your chest?
Can I ask you to please do it again?
Breathe.
In and out.
Allow.
Allowing your awareness to sink into the center of your chest.
Feeling and allowing the breath to come in and out of your heart center.
And, once you feel it…
Mentally tell yourself and feel the words & intent…
“I AM Safe.”
“I AM Here.”
“I AM.”
Wash, rinse & repeat as needed.
Now…
How is this moment?
And this moment?
And this one?
And…
Can you allow yourself to be the artist of your own experience?
Can you color your moments how you’d like?
Can you be the Bob Ross of your own life?
Can you let go of what no longer serves you?
Realizing that The Path to Mastery is not through Force or Control – but by relaxing, playfully exploring, allowing, gently guiding here & there and, yes, playing.
Keep Playing, my friends.
Next Time : Study On This
“Same KAP Time. Same KAP Channel.”
Paul
Paul is offering all of his pop-up classes (Kuji-In Reality Hacking, The Lazy Jedi’s Guide To The Galaxy, Back To The Present, The Lazy Force Ghost’s Guide To The Multiverse, Cosmic Physical Culture, Surfing The Circuits, The Abundance Sessions, 3 Realm Monte & the upcoming A Walk In The Shade : Practical Shadow Work For The Rest Of Us) ala carte & at a donation-based tuition (take it anytime & pay what you think is acceptable). Email : therevdr23(at)gmail(dot)com for more information & to register.