Courtesy of Airbnb, I was just talking to a lovely couple staying with us.
Google happened to mention they were visiting under the same roof as a monk and meditation teacher, and since they were meditators and mindfulness people, there ensued an enthusiastic chat.
“How do you sit to meditate?” was one of the first questions.
“Anyway which way I like” was my answer.
Some sort of injury or ill health was preventing one of the couple from sitting in the typically recommended fashion, and I surmised this person was a little concerned that they weren’t meditating correctly.
Have you ever had that?
Been afraid that you’re not doing it right?
That you’re somehow not good enough and you’ll always fall short?
This need to get it right creates considerable havoc in our lives, and it shows up everywhere.
Why? Because the search for right always creates a wrong, and the wrong isn’t just “I did something wrong”, but leads very quickly “I am wrong”, “I am not good enough”.
One of the greatest lessons my practice of Ascension meditation has given me is that my idea of what should be happening is far different from what actually is happening, and will happen… i.e., that my plan is sometimes (actually often) far different from that of whatever force is actually in charge.
My practice of Ascension has given me the ability to see how frustrating and fruitless resisting reality is, even (and probably especially) when I’m trying to get it right, when I’m struggling to get what I think I want.
What I've found is that there is what I think I WANT and then there is what I NEED– and one of these is far more powerful and way more fruitful than the other.
In acceptance of what is lies great ease and peace.
In acceptance you are able to open up to the fullness of this moment in time, you can embrace the connection with your higher Self, with whatever your idea of the higher power is, right here, right now, exactly as it is.
... Not as you think it should be.
In acceptance, appreciation and gratitude for what you do have then can come to the fore, and not what you think is missing, what you don’t have.
In acceptance you can clearly see that everything happens to you for a reason.
It does happen for a reason.
And if you haven’t noticed that yet, it is a great place to start, a great position to assume. Because then life isn’t a random attack on you; instead you can see Life as attempting to bring you exactly what you need to get you what you say you truly want.
If everything happens for a reason (even if the reason may not be clear right now) it stops the struggle, it stops the wrong, it brings acceptance and rightness to every single moment.
Acceptance brings a halt to needless struggle and self-violence.
It is such a position of ability, and an appreciation of what is truly Ideal. From here, you can respond from place of ease and simplicity, in the flow of life, flexible, free, and not frustrated and exhausted from pushing to try and get what you want.
You see?
Such a simple thing when you see it, such a powerful lesson in letting be.
Sound good?
Excellent – this will take a little experimentation on your behalf, a little practice. But what if you could take it easy and still get to where you want to be?
Wouldn’t that be a nice way to live?
Go well,
Arjuna
There’s what you want, and then there’s what you need