I don’t know what state these words find you in, but perhaps before you dive in take a moment to create a little inner space as you read and digest.
Regardless of how much you have to do, making space is your ally. Ticking things off your to-do list at speed, filling every moment, checking this and checking that… be aware of haste.
Make some space to consider and reflect. Allow the striving, grasping, and pushing to fall away, if only for a moment. Let now be enough, just as it is. Let yourself be enough, just as you are.
You’ve got this, as they say. Enjoy the journey with all its unexpectedness. Perhaps it – and you – are unfolding beautifully, exactly as life needs.
Breathe and be still.
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Quote that suits today
“If the only prayer you say is thank you, it will be enough.”
— Meister Eckhart
When you’re stuck in traffic, say, “Yes, thank you.”
When your kid throws up on your shirt, say, “Yes, thank you.”
When someone doesn’t understand or appreciate you, say, “Yes, thank you.”
You can do hard things. You get to do hard things. Don’t avoid them; settle into them. Welcoming what is brings a kind of ease. Practicing this cultivates ease in the midst of everything.
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Something to Practice
When I was in my late teens, starting university in a new town, I felt lost. I hadn’t found my people yet, and with teenage hormones swirling, I questioned everything, painfully aware of the space I occupied.
While objectively my life was smooth and easy, as you probably know, that was no guarantee of inner peace or a sense of "rightness."
One thing that regularly lifted my spirits was seeing the same guy on my way to class. He was always smiling. Truly always. I never saw him look glum, or even neutral.
His face, just one among the thousands I encountered daily, gave me hope that as a fellow human, I too could find my way to a constant smile – or at least feel less lost.
I didn't know how it would happen, but simply seeing him was a ray of sunshine, a glimmer of hope that my life could be different.
Today, remembering that guy and others like him, I try to be the first to make a positive difference for someone else.
A smile costs me so little – I sometimes need to overcome a shyness that makes me want to avoid acknowledging others, but that small effort is an investment.
It benefits me enormously. As Gandhi is so often quoted, I become the change I want to see in the world: kinder, more connected, understanding, communicating a common ground beyond our individual uniqueness.
You can make that difference too, so why not?
When you help others, you help yourself as well, and that help can be something so small. So why not?
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That’s all from me this week. As always, let me know what you thought, let me know if I can help.
Go well,
Arjuna
P.S.
I'm teaching an Ishayas' Ascension course this weekend, and you'd be so welcome to join us.
Remember, repeating any part of the course is always free – and offers incredible benefits – so please let me know if you'd like a spot.
If this weekend doesn't work, here are the dates for later this year (all starting 7 pm Friday):
4-6 July
17-19 October
21-23 November
And a 5-day retreat later on (with incredible food!): 24-28 September, including special guest teachers Priya and Dharmaraj from the main Ishaya centre in Spain.
It would be lovely to see you there.