“Discontent, blaming, complaining, self-pity cannot serve as a foundation for a good future, no matter how much effort you make.”
“Complaining is one of the ego’s favourite strategies for strengthening itself. Every complaint is a little story the mind makes up that you completely believe in. Whether you complain aloud or only in thought makes no difference. Some egos that perhaps don’t have much else to identify with easily survive on complaining alone. When you are in the grip of such an ego, complaining, especially about other people, is habitual and, of course, unconscious, which means you don’t know what you are doing.”
— Eckhart Tolle
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A shorter one this week.
You parents will know how school holidays unfold. I didn’t plan it very well, did I! I figure these little monkeys won’t want me about forever, so I’m making the most of my time with them.
On with the show.
One of the games I’ve been playing for a while now, which never gets old, is the game of attempting to never whine about, or get frustrated with, the tough/unwelcome/unexpected of life.
That old Buddhist mantra and all: In life, pain is inevitable – but suffering? Optional.
The game is doing my best to simply not go there. Not feeding it. Focusing on the good, what I have, what I can appreciate – even the gratitude that I don’t have 'that' and 'that', and on reflection, it could have been a lot worse.
It’s a great game.
Not always easy, but it is a superb arena for creating the kind of outlook I want, a more skilled response to what life throws at me. Because while the negative has a certain level of payback, the positive has way more.
Want to play?
The only rule is to aim high, knowing that you’ll fall short of perfection anyways. But you always get to start again, with a clean slate. Try to embrace that fresh start as quick as you can.
What if life could solely be dedicated to the Good, to focusing on what you want to grow, to love and appreciation regardless of the circumstances? How would life be then? And how will you know unless you try?
You create and define the moment largely through your response to it. Choose well. And! You always get to go again. So go.
Let me know what happens when you get stuck in and play.
The next Ishayas’ Ascension course is coming up at the end of the month. I love teaching these weekends. You can see people change in front of you; and I know that as long as they practice, transformation just happens. Pretty cool.
And, like all fine things, the more I “teach”, the more I see in my own being and life. It’s a weird yet wonderful feedback loop that means everyone wins. An infinite game of continual evolution to more style.
If you’d like to join us, let me know. Dates are 25-27 April (starts 7pm Friday). It’s a superb weekend: peaceful location, great people, simple yet profound tools for calm, clear, bright living.
That’s all for me. The sun is shining so we’re off to the river.
Let me know how I can help, with anything.
Go well!
Arjuna