"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would have not a single bit of talent left and could say, 'I used everything you gave me'."
— Erma Bombeck
_____________
I’ve been out teaching the last five weeks, and so am relishing time to do as little as possible. A time for action and being busy, a time for resting and slacking off, so to speak. Sitting here in my little corner of the spare bedroom I call my office, I’m loving watching the snow and the wind outside. I’ll get out in it later today with the boy, but for now a cup of coffee and a view is more than enough.
One of the biggest skills, for anyone I think, is based in the importance of our ability to declare a moment enough. To choose to be content and complete right here and now, despite where you want to go. To embrace the conditions of what is, regardless of where and who you think you should be.
Right?
As the great Socrates once said, “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.”
Contentment, like happiness, doesn’t depend on what you have; it depends on who you are. Contentment isn’t caused; it’s chosen.
Life isn’t given to us. It’s what we make of it that counts.
Contentment is complete. It’s everything. There’s no “if’s” and “when’s” … it perfectly meets life as it is, exactly as it is. But you gotta be all in with your choice for it. You can't be "bitty". You have to totally BE it – that’s the only way it works.
But full and complete and alive in any aspect of life comes from going all in with everything you do. That’s how you get more. “Memento Mori” – remember that you will die. Our time is limited here, so we gots to make the most of it.
I was told a story after an advanced Ascension retreat we did recently that illustrates this perfectly.
_____________
“My wife and I have a friend who has spent the last three years in a secure mental health facility, and has little prospect of leaving. My wife visited her recently. Her friend opened her purse and bemoaned having no money to put in it – so my wife gave her £30.65.
I said ‘That’s a curious amount to give her.’
To which my wife replied, ‘Well, that was all I had.’”
_____________
“It was all I had”.
What a beautiful way to live, huh?
Be all in. Whatever you’re doing: Be all in – heart, mind, body and soul – in whatever you’re doing.
If you can’t?
Don’t do it.
Don’t sit on the fence, don’t be wishy washy, don't complain. Completely go all in with what you’re doing.
We want to really live, to truly feel like we’re alive – and it’s the moments that you fully give yourself to that really come alive. That's the way it works. It's what you make of it. You don’t want to get to the end with some left in the tank. You really don't if you want a meaningful, significant and complete full-on life.
Be all in.
And make it a wonderful week. Til next week,
Go well!
Arjuna