July 24th, 2017
Two things we need to know:
1) Life is not fair. 2) We are not in control.
We see an adorable picture of a baby snow lion and we are happy. We watch her mother kill a baby goat to feed her and we are sad. The killing is very fair for the snow lion but very unfair to the goat’s parents. A fire races through the forest and displaces the homes of many creatures. The burned off undergrowth allows seeds, no longer blocked from the sunshine to grow, feeding other creatures. Fair or Unfair?
Everything that happens and I mean EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS has some benefit somewhere but we are so narrowly focused on our life and our plans and our blueprint for our life that anything contrary to that becomes a source of depressing or angry negativity. Why?
It is because in reality we are not in control, never were never will be. We usually find some kind of ambiguous teaching that covers our hurts with some kind of sweetness or promises and we cling to it like a drowning sailor clinging to a styrofoam ice chest.
Okay, so our plans won’t always work out. We will be visited often by the unfairness of life and we are not in control of any of this. What are we supposed to do???
1)We are to accept the reality of each moment. Whatever is happening in this moment is reality. To wish the reality of the moment was different is to believe in a mental fairytale. That fairytale offers us a ridiculous, temporary respite and leaves us powerless to deal with what is truly happening.
2) Once we accept that we are not in control (if not -try changing the weather or your kidney function) we must ask the question -who is? The answer is that there is something that is so much greater than us that it defies naming or understanding. If fact once we name it or say we understand it, we have gained nothing except a bigger ego.
1) Life is unfair only because we can’t see all of it and if we can’t see all of it, we can’t understand any of it.
2) Something beyond our understanding is in control and all we can do is to have gratitude for what feels good and to not give up when it feels not so good.
You can do it.
Sundrops On Life -Better Thoughts. Better Days.
Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com
Facebook – Sundrops On Life
July 5th, 2017
Imagine that you are looking down at a canoe or kayak that was custom made especially for you. You step down into it and it fits you perfectly. You push off into the current and you notice that the workmanship is perfect. The material is perfect. The shape is perfect. It is capable of anything.
You see something interesting over to your left and decide to check it out. You look around inside your perfect craft and freak out! There are no paddles!!!! You are at the mercy of the current. Is that the sound of a waterfall up ahead???
Take a breath.
Many of us feel like we have no control over where life is taking us. We are in life’s current and it’s taking us to places and situations without our consent.We feel helpless and we are always in fear of the waterfall we imagine lies ahead. We are not living. We are just holding on.
Take a breath.
If we were to step out of our craft we would soon see that all of our fears are unfounded. The current that we thought was all controlling is merely waist deep. All we have to do is step out and look at the situation.
Take a breath.
When we go into our mind looking for answers and see none we freak out and imagine all the worst. Sometimes we just need to step out of our thoughts to realize that our problems are only waist deep. Paddles? They were always there but they were hanging on the outside of the craft and we couldn’t see them until we got out for a moment.
All it takes is a pause. The fear evaporates. The control comes back to us and the journey continues. It all starts when consciously we…
Take a breath.
Sundrops On Life -Better Thoughts. Better Days.
Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com
Facebook – Sundrops On Life