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The worldwide economic events of the past few months provide us with an opportunity to gain a real understanding of the way that we personally respond in life when faced with surprises, perceived difficulties, and emergencies. Do we embrace and act responsively to what is so or are we enveloped in a "fight or flight" reaction to what we perceive to be the thwarting of our intentions and the betrayal of our expectations? If our awareness is centered in the here and now, we find that we can observe what is going on with clarity, and creatively respond to what is so rather than reacting with fear and dread based on past mental images, inherited beliefs, and incessant "worse case scenario" projections of the future that are provided to us free of charge by friends, family, and the non-stop fulminations and suggestions delivered by the "talking heads" and "experts" who inhabit the world of electronic and print media.
It is useful to recall the wisdom of the statement, "this too shall pass." The world is in constant change; it is the very nature of reality. Nothing remains the same. All that we attempt to hold on to and all that we seek to avoid are transient in this world no matter how "good"or "bad" we consider them to be. Nor can we ever know for certain what the "positive" and "negative" long-term future effects will be of present events, as the theory of unintended consequences keeps demonstrating over and over to those who are awake to the lessons of history. To one aware that all things, thoughts, emotions, events, and circumstances inevitably pass away, this realization is a powerful antidote to the ego's obsessive compulsion to react to the numerous doomsday scenarios being thrown about by generating daily doses of fear, panic, grief, fear, anger, blame, and apathy in various combinations and permutations. Able to be fully aware and present to what is so right now as it really is, without being immersed in the blinding illusionary fog of fear-based beliefs, opinions, rumors, and judgments that obscure our vision, sap our strength, and lead us down the futile fantasy path of "shoulda, woulda, coulda", we are free to act in each new moment of NOW with intention and power.
If we intend to consciously be the author of our inner state of Being, allowing and embracing what is so right NOW is essential. The default alternative we are left with when we deny and abdicate that sacred gift of authorship is to go to sleep to our true nature, and succumb to having our inner state be determined by the ever-changing circumstances of life and the accompanying mental chatter and judgments of the mind about "what it all means." A life focused for guidance on the world of thoughts may lead to continueous striving to accumulate more and more information and knowledge, but it does not lead to wisdom, harmony, or peace. Wisdom, harmony and peace arise only in the silence of Beingness.
Look back in time at the trajectory of President Barack Obama's campaign for President from the moment he declared himself a candidate to a couple of weeks before the election, and answer this question for yourself: during this time, how many of the experts, pundits, talking heads, and news reporters gave him a chance of winning? How many predicted he would win as they based their scenario for the future on the past-based "conventional wisdom"? At this moment in your life, what are you focusing on as the source of your guidance? Are you allowing yourself to be like the still center in the midst of a hurricane, quietly observing what is so, eschewing all drama, educating yourself about the economic situation, becoming aware of the facts as best you can, and open to receive; trusting the guidance of infinite inner wisdom? Or are you allowing yourself to be seduced by the constant generated conflict and drama of the 24 hour news cycle, buying into what the "experts" are now saying about what the current economic situation all means and what will happen? The slogan for the Obama election team, "No Drama Obama," was not just a cute phrase; it was marching orders for staff and volunteers to avoid getting hooked by the constant story, drama, conclusions, and meanings being generated from all quarters, and keep focusing on what was wanted and needed based on the intersection of the intention of the campaign and the facts on the ground. In this moment, we also have a choice: We can have as our "mantra" for these times, "no drama", and stay aware and focused on the facts on the ground --what's so-- or we can buy into the drama, meanings, and predictions being generated by all the "usual suspects," and lose ourselves in a reactive avalanche of fear, grief, anger, blame, and other "fight or flight" behavior.
There is a simple but powerful Taoist tale that provides great wisdom regarding being with what is in changing circumstances, and giving no energy to assumptions and conjecture.
Here it is:
The Farmer's Luck
There was once an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years.
One day, his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit.
"Such bad luck," they said sympathetically.
"Maybe," the farmer replied.
The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it two other wild horses.
"Such good luck!" the neighbors exclaimed.
"Maybe," replied the farmer.
The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown off, and broke his leg.
Again, the neighbors came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.
"Such bad luck," they said.
"Maybe," answered the farmer.
The day after that, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army to fight in a war. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by.
"Such good luck!" cried the neighbors.
"Maybe," said the farmer.
-- Hal Isen
From Core Wisdom On-Line Number 92 - February 3, 2009 | |||||||||||
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