A New Way of Being

We can grow up out of the kind of mind that is afraid of life – the kind of mind that judges, compares and endlessly tries to make life be a certain way – and discover another way of being with life, engaging with it exactly as it is appearing rather than trying to make it be a particular way.  This may bring up fingerlings of fear inside because it has been a long time since most of us have trusted life enough to show up for it – but it is only scary to the fear-based mind, which is a very small part of who we are.  Pema Chodron, the deeply wise Buddhist nun and world renowned author, describes enlightenment as the willingness to relax into life!

What would it be like if – just for today – rather that struggling with life, you were willing to stay open to whatever is showing up in your life and in your world?  You lived this way when you were very young, and you can learn how to live this way again.  The key is being present for life rather than trying to control it. An image I love to use is that most of us are like little old people, endlessly trying to unravel a ball of yarn, all the while sitting in paradise.  Being fully present in this moment is paradise.  And it is trustable!  Life knows how to keep the planets spinning as they do, heal the cut on your skin and bring forth everything you see out of stardust!

So for just this moment, stay open to the flow of life.  All of the millions of moments of your life have brought you to this moment where you are reading this and it is the only moment that matters.  Now hold the intention to stay open and attentive today.  It won’t necessarily be easy.  Your fear based mind will over and over again move you back into control and upset about every conceivable thing.  But feel yourself letting that go, softening your grip on life and simply being with it as it is appearing, over and over again throughout this day.