Many of say that we wish the world was a better place, that we were better people or that we had a better life. But the truth is that we have the power to do all of those things simply by choosing how we live our lives every day. By focusing on the choices we make, we take all the power into ourselves which unto itself is a radically different way to engage with the world. What holds us back is the sense of safety and security that “sameness” offers. But this is an illusion.
“To put it still more plainly: the desire for security and the feeling of insecurity are the same thing. To hold your breath is to lose your breath. A society based on the quest for security is nothing but a breath-retention contest in which everyone is as taut as a drum and as purple as a beet.” ~Alan Watts
Let your breath go.
Stop waiting.
Stop clinging to this illusion.
This illusion is distracting you from the following 3 truths: everything is interconnected; you are the world and the world is in you; and you are independent because you are interdependent upon a healthy environment. Otherwise your independence is nothing more than a tool for your ego and your ego is nothing more than a pawn for this unhealthy clinging to illusion.
The first step in claiming your freedom is understanding that everything is connected. All that exists is woven together into one being. Nothing can change or move through existence without effecting the things around it. Things cannot be created without something being destroyed. One cannot speak without being heard. You cannot love without others.
“In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion.” ~Albert Camus
Each of us must take the time to pull back from our day-to-day grind and ask our selves if our choices are taking us along the path we wish to follow. What kind of person are we becoming? What truths are we embracing? Nothing inside us matters as much as the actions that we choose to take. Each day we shape our reality with the immense power of choice. Knowing that these choices effect this reality is an opportunity to create the reality we desire.
Embrace your imagination. Humans have never created anything with out first imagining it. Without taking the time to imagine who you can become, how you can effect the world and the reality you wish to live in you can never bring these things into being. Choose acceptance over anxiety. Accepting things as they are is not the same as desiring or moving towards keeping them unchanged. Because here’s the secret: everything changes. When we say to ourselves “nothing ever changes” we are embracing an illusion. Accepting this ever flowing change allows you to swim in the water. Anxiety results from the fear of the unknown. To avoid this feeling, we tell ourselves that things are always the same and embrace the illusion of “sameness.”
Allow the Divine to come into your life. Being spiritual is a part of being human. This is allowing ourselves to be awed by the greater whole. Look up at the sky and see the stars for what they are. Imagine the immensity of the universe and let your self feel small. Then bring the universe into yourself and allow your self to become large. The approach to spirituality is different for each of us. Go to church. Pray. Gaze at the trees. Read. Contemplate. Reach out and connect to all that is bigger then yourself. Reach in and embrace the part of yourself that is tied in with this larger whole.
Now that you have pulled back from the world, look at where you live. Is your environment healthy? Create a home that inspires you to be something more and cultivates your imagination. Create a home that helps nourish your body, mind and soul. If any of the corners of this triad is left neglected you will struggle. Eat food that makes you feel well. Provoke contemplation and thought. Embrace the Divine.
The power of choice can never be taken from you or given away. Each day we move through our lives making choices without thought. Floating along on auto pilot. Move slow. Allow yourself the time to consider the choices you make. Then take the leap. Have faith in your ability to imagine and create.
Bring your passion with you. Stop looking for perfect. It doesn’t exist. Perfection is an illusion. Instead, accept things as they are and choose instead to strive towards something greater. Go to work and let your passion follow you. Let your work become a point of pride. Strive to always do your job well. Strive to shine on those around you. If you bring your passion with you, everything you do will be inspiring and bring joy. You can be passionate about anything. Instead of focusing on the tasks of your job, consider the service that you give. Giving to others is part of embracing the wholeness of our universe, a way of bringing in that which is larger than ourselves.
Live.
Love.
Laugh.
Zebra Pig 