"The meaning of life is to see."
-- Hui-Neng
Sounds simple enough. Unless you're Blind Lemon Pledge or Blind Melon Chittlin, you've got it covered, right? Not so fast there, sighted one! Hui-Neng's idea of "seeing" is a bit more than just passing your drivers license eye exam. You may see the little letters on the screen OK, and even the stop signs, 18 wheelers, and burger joints as you fly on down the road (the highway to hell?), but when it comes to things of a bit more subtle nature, do you really see just what's there, or do you project your own stuff onto the innocence of naked reality?
In fact, many of us do not see as much as we "over see." We project our fears, judgments, prejudices and expectations onto whatever is and thus miss it. What we see is not the bare bones of what is, but our own highly colorized, paint-by-numbers version, a subjective phantom world that we mistake for objective reality. To really see means to lay aside all that crap and be the eyes of God.
How does God see? With upmost clarity and boundless love. God sees every wart and flaw and loves them all. He does not attempt to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, but he loves that dam pig appendage as much as he'd love any silk accessory. God doesn't infer motives, or make up meaning, He simply observes and accepts.
OK, this is not your Old Testament, fire and brimstone, smote you in the ass type God that I'm talking about, but rather God as Spirit, God as Ultimate Reality. If God is the be all and end all, what does God really see? Only Himself.
And so I ask you today to see only your Divine Self, only God, in all. Don't get me wrong -- I'm not prescribing rose colored glasses here. Life is not all Hallmark cards, cuddly puppies and Vaseline on the camera lens. You need 20/20 spiritual vision to see Reality. And as Hui-Neng points out that's what we're really here for -- to see. And then, and only then, do we know what to do.
Love & Freedom
"Amour l'enfant liberte."
(translation: Love is the child of freedom)
Tattoo on the wrist of a server at Michael's Uptown Cafe
Love cannot be coerced, bought, sold, or produced on demand. Love grows out of both freedom from and freedom to. In order to truly love, you must be free from any sort of external pressure to be different than you are. You must also have the freedom to choose who, when, where and how you love. Finally, you must be free of your past. You must transcend both past hurts and past ecstasies in order to be fully present and capable of love.
Love is thus intrapersonal as well as interpersonal. Not only is it necessary to love your self before you can truly love another (as every pop psychologist worth his Leo Buscaglia tapes will tell you), but also you must let go of anything that is not love. Freedom is the fertile soil for love, and freedom can only be found in being fully open to the present moment.
So, today, focus upon freeing yourself, loving yourself, loving others, and loving what is. For ultimately love is not personal but transpersonal. It is unlimited and totally non-discriminatory. Like the sunshine and the rain it warms or soaks all equally.
But the really cool thing is that not only does love grow out of freedom, the reverse is also true -- freedom grows out of love. When someone is loved it frees them to be fully and authentically themself. Love helps them to see that they, like we, are indeed always, already free and always, already love.
(translation: Love is the child of freedom)
Tattoo on the wrist of a server at Michael's Uptown Cafe
Love cannot be coerced, bought, sold, or produced on demand. Love grows out of both freedom from and freedom to. In order to truly love, you must be free from any sort of external pressure to be different than you are. You must also have the freedom to choose who, when, where and how you love. Finally, you must be free of your past. You must transcend both past hurts and past ecstasies in order to be fully present and capable of love.
Love is thus intrapersonal as well as interpersonal. Not only is it necessary to love your self before you can truly love another (as every pop psychologist worth his Leo Buscaglia tapes will tell you), but also you must let go of anything that is not love. Freedom is the fertile soil for love, and freedom can only be found in being fully open to the present moment.
So, today, focus upon freeing yourself, loving yourself, loving others, and loving what is. For ultimately love is not personal but transpersonal. It is unlimited and totally non-discriminatory. Like the sunshine and the rain it warms or soaks all equally.
But the really cool thing is that not only does love grow out of freedom, the reverse is also true -- freedom grows out of love. When someone is loved it frees them to be fully and authentically themself. Love helps them to see that they, like we, are indeed always, already free and always, already love.
Entirely Up To You
"Whether or not you are awake or free, whether you love unconditionally or live wholeheartedly in any given moment, in this moment, is entirely up to you."
-- Scott Morrison
If you've been around the planet for awhile, even a short while, people have most likely done some pretty mean, rotten, or just plain unconscious, things to you. Hell, even if you're a new born baby reading this, just a few moments ago the doctor probably smacked you on the ass! What the hell was that all about?
But no matter what's happened to you, you are responsible for your own consciousness, for your own stance in the world. No one can make us be unaware or unloving. Those may be the dysfunctional choices we have made in response to past suffering, or anticipated future suffering, but at any point in time we can choose again to be loving, open, and aware instead.
It's all about living, really being, in the present moment. Your only point of power is in the present. The present is where you get to decide what your stance in life will be right now. Most people just unconsciously ride a train of thought that leads them to recreate the feelings and experiences of the past. They don't even realize they have a choice!
True, life isn't fair. I used to hate it when my parents would tell me that. "But it should be," I'd reply. Now I realize that shoulds don't matter. Even if we all wanted life to be fair, we could never make it so because fairness is such a subjective standard. What we can do, however, is take personal responsibility for each thought we think, each action we take, now and now and now, and on ad infinitum.
The entire spiritual path can be viewed as one long exercise in just getting up one more time than you fall down. You go unconscious in the blink of an eye. But then, just as quickly, the light of awareness snaps on again. You stand up, brush yourself off, and grin a bit sheepishly at the magnificence of the this present moment, every present moment. You are fully aware, loving and alive, and, if only for a fleeting moment, you are truly having the time of your life!
-- Scott Morrison
If you've been around the planet for awhile, even a short while, people have most likely done some pretty mean, rotten, or just plain unconscious, things to you. Hell, even if you're a new born baby reading this, just a few moments ago the doctor probably smacked you on the ass! What the hell was that all about?
But no matter what's happened to you, you are responsible for your own consciousness, for your own stance in the world. No one can make us be unaware or unloving. Those may be the dysfunctional choices we have made in response to past suffering, or anticipated future suffering, but at any point in time we can choose again to be loving, open, and aware instead.
It's all about living, really being, in the present moment. Your only point of power is in the present. The present is where you get to decide what your stance in life will be right now. Most people just unconsciously ride a train of thought that leads them to recreate the feelings and experiences of the past. They don't even realize they have a choice!
True, life isn't fair. I used to hate it when my parents would tell me that. "But it should be," I'd reply. Now I realize that shoulds don't matter. Even if we all wanted life to be fair, we could never make it so because fairness is such a subjective standard. What we can do, however, is take personal responsibility for each thought we think, each action we take, now and now and now, and on ad infinitum.
The entire spiritual path can be viewed as one long exercise in just getting up one more time than you fall down. You go unconscious in the blink of an eye. But then, just as quickly, the light of awareness snaps on again. You stand up, brush yourself off, and grin a bit sheepishly at the magnificence of the this present moment, every present moment. You are fully aware, loving and alive, and, if only for a fleeting moment, you are truly having the time of your life!
Excess to Wisdom
"The road to excess leads to the palace of wisdom."
-- William Blake
Once when I was talking with a swami from the kundalini yoga tradition, he asked me about a book that I was reading. I showed him the book, which was about Theravadan Buddhist meditation teachers. He looked at their pictures and remarked, "They all look like dried up leaves, about to blow away." And he was right! Each of the masters of this most austere school of Buddhism had a crispy, pinched look about them, as if they were dehydrated and hadn't had nearly enough fiber in their diets. They were not light and juicy. There was surely no excess in them, or in their lives. The balance of the middle way had rendered them damn near lifeless!
Excess shakes things up. It blows out the cobwebs, destroys routine and helps us see the world anew. As Krishnamurti was so fond of pointing out, habit dulls. It's nice to have a daily meditation practice that takes you deeper. But beware! The practice can easily become a small and comfortable fenced-in yard for your soul. Of course, even meditation can be practiced to excess, like the biblical injunction to "pray without ceasing," or the Tibetan practice of taking a three year, three month, three week, three day retreat, and thus lead to Blake's "palace of wisdom!"
The other way in which excess induces wisdom is by showing us that merely satisfying desires does not lead to happiness, much less enlightenment. Sometimes it is easiest to understand emptiness by experiencing super saturation.
So, just for today take a little taste of excess. (How's that for an oxymoron!). Don't OD on excess, but be, do, or have more than you normally would. Eat three deserts, or have sex three times today (with or without a partner), or give the wino on the corner enough money for a good bottle of cabernet, or exercise at the gym for two hours, or work for 18 hours straight, or write non-stop in your journal for half a day, or.... You decide which excess is calling you. Follow it and see to what wisdom it leads.
-- William Blake
Once when I was talking with a swami from the kundalini yoga tradition, he asked me about a book that I was reading. I showed him the book, which was about Theravadan Buddhist meditation teachers. He looked at their pictures and remarked, "They all look like dried up leaves, about to blow away." And he was right! Each of the masters of this most austere school of Buddhism had a crispy, pinched look about them, as if they were dehydrated and hadn't had nearly enough fiber in their diets. They were not light and juicy. There was surely no excess in them, or in their lives. The balance of the middle way had rendered them damn near lifeless!
Excess shakes things up. It blows out the cobwebs, destroys routine and helps us see the world anew. As Krishnamurti was so fond of pointing out, habit dulls. It's nice to have a daily meditation practice that takes you deeper. But beware! The practice can easily become a small and comfortable fenced-in yard for your soul. Of course, even meditation can be practiced to excess, like the biblical injunction to "pray without ceasing," or the Tibetan practice of taking a three year, three month, three week, three day retreat, and thus lead to Blake's "palace of wisdom!"
The other way in which excess induces wisdom is by showing us that merely satisfying desires does not lead to happiness, much less enlightenment. Sometimes it is easiest to understand emptiness by experiencing super saturation.
So, just for today take a little taste of excess. (How's that for an oxymoron!). Don't OD on excess, but be, do, or have more than you normally would. Eat three deserts, or have sex three times today (with or without a partner), or give the wino on the corner enough money for a good bottle of cabernet, or exercise at the gym for two hours, or work for 18 hours straight, or write non-stop in your journal for half a day, or.... You decide which excess is calling you. Follow it and see to what wisdom it leads.
Supreme Happiness
"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction of being loved for yourself, or, more correctly, being loved in spite of yourself."
-- Victor Hugo
It's long been my contention that much dysfunctional behavior is a convoluted call for love. The perpetrator is merely saying in a behavioral way, "Will you love me now? Do you still love me now?" And we have been taught by the parable of the prodigal son, and by most other spiritual teaching, to reply with an "Of course I still love you." But it ain't easy, it ain't easy.
What it behooves us to remember is that all of us play both roles -- seeker of love and giver of love -- at various times throughout our lives. How much better off would we be if we just dropped all the role playing and assumed our true spiritual identity -- lover? To be love is so much different than to play the role of either seeker or giver. More difficult, too.
To love unconditionally is both the hardest spiritual discipline and the most exquisite component of enlightenment. It totally destroys the game of the ego. You no longer get to pick and choose who's "worthy" of receiving your love. Hell, you don't even get to call it "yours" anymore. You merely become a clean conduit, a hollow reed for the channeling and dispersing of universal love. Can you imagine a higher calling?
What if everyone you met felt loved for themself, in spite of themself, and deep down to the core of their real Self? Perhaps that's what meeting Jesus was like. One theory I've heard advanced says that Jesus healed not by some psychic healing powers or hocus pocus magic, but merely by seeing perfection. His spiritual insight was so keen that all he saw was perfection; and his energy was so strong that the Universe responded in kind.
True or not, we have no way of knowing. What we do have a way of knowing is how love impacts those around us. We can run some fascinating experiments simply by loving.
So today, take every opportunity to love. That doesn't mean indulging in gushing hyperbole and sweaty group hugs. Love in whatever manner is appropriate. Love people for who they appear to be, in spite of who they appear to be, and, most importantly, for who they really are. How? There are no blueprints, no road maps. The GPS for love lies within each of us. Find and follow, and you'll do just fine.
-- Victor Hugo
It's long been my contention that much dysfunctional behavior is a convoluted call for love. The perpetrator is merely saying in a behavioral way, "Will you love me now? Do you still love me now?" And we have been taught by the parable of the prodigal son, and by most other spiritual teaching, to reply with an "Of course I still love you." But it ain't easy, it ain't easy.
What it behooves us to remember is that all of us play both roles -- seeker of love and giver of love -- at various times throughout our lives. How much better off would we be if we just dropped all the role playing and assumed our true spiritual identity -- lover? To be love is so much different than to play the role of either seeker or giver. More difficult, too.
To love unconditionally is both the hardest spiritual discipline and the most exquisite component of enlightenment. It totally destroys the game of the ego. You no longer get to pick and choose who's "worthy" of receiving your love. Hell, you don't even get to call it "yours" anymore. You merely become a clean conduit, a hollow reed for the channeling and dispersing of universal love. Can you imagine a higher calling?
What if everyone you met felt loved for themself, in spite of themself, and deep down to the core of their real Self? Perhaps that's what meeting Jesus was like. One theory I've heard advanced says that Jesus healed not by some psychic healing powers or hocus pocus magic, but merely by seeing perfection. His spiritual insight was so keen that all he saw was perfection; and his energy was so strong that the Universe responded in kind.
True or not, we have no way of knowing. What we do have a way of knowing is how love impacts those around us. We can run some fascinating experiments simply by loving.
So today, take every opportunity to love. That doesn't mean indulging in gushing hyperbole and sweaty group hugs. Love in whatever manner is appropriate. Love people for who they appear to be, in spite of who they appear to be, and, most importantly, for who they really are. How? There are no blueprints, no road maps. The GPS for love lies within each of us. Find and follow, and you'll do just fine.
"The single most vital step on your journey toward enlightenment is this: Learn to disidentify from your mind. Every time you create a gap in the stream of mind, the light of your consciousness grows stronger."
-- Eckhart Tolle
You are not what you think. I know you think you are what you think, that most of the time you believe that your thoughts are you, but they're not. You are the consciousness behind the thoughts, the energy out of which the thoughts are created. You are the context not the content, the ocean not the waves.
Gaps in the endless line of thoughts that parade through your head, those brief respites from thinking, are opportunities for you to "fall into the gap," to bathe, ala Siddhartha, in the river of consciousness. Thoughts are like clouds passing through the clear blue sky of consciousness, like a bad burrito passing through your intestinal tract post haste.
Enough mixed metaphors for you? My point is that you are not who you think you are. No matter how erudite, insightful or wise your thoughts may seem, they are not you, you are not them. Enjoy them, use them, even humor them a little -- just don't identify with them!
Identify instead with consciousness unbound, the energy that pervades and sustain all and everything. Call it Tao or Holy Spirit or Atman or Buddha Nature, or Fred, just don't settle for anything less!
-- Eckhart Tolle
You are not what you think. I know you think you are what you think, that most of the time you believe that your thoughts are you, but they're not. You are the consciousness behind the thoughts, the energy out of which the thoughts are created. You are the context not the content, the ocean not the waves.
Gaps in the endless line of thoughts that parade through your head, those brief respites from thinking, are opportunities for you to "fall into the gap," to bathe, ala Siddhartha, in the river of consciousness. Thoughts are like clouds passing through the clear blue sky of consciousness, like a bad burrito passing through your intestinal tract post haste.
Enough mixed metaphors for you? My point is that you are not who you think you are. No matter how erudite, insightful or wise your thoughts may seem, they are not you, you are not them. Enjoy them, use them, even humor them a little -- just don't identify with them!
Identify instead with consciousness unbound, the energy that pervades and sustain all and everything. Call it Tao or Holy Spirit or Atman or Buddha Nature, or Fred, just don't settle for anything less!
Save Me
"Lord Jesus, please save me from your followers."
-- message seen on a T-shirt
Easter seems like the appropriate day to pass along this bit of T-shirt wisdom. Nothing is worse than a bunch of rabid believers. If most people who claim to be Christians lived at all like Jesus did, this planet would be a much better place. Instead, most so-called followers of Jesus seem more concerned with belief than action. They'd rather convert us heathens to their way of thinking than transcend thinking altogether and experience Christ Consciousness.
Followers are always an immature and sketchy lot. In a perfect world, everyone would create their own, personalized religion that uniquely reflected universal values. Or they would live their lives from a deep, natural wisdom that required no religion at all. As it is, we have competitive bands of believers each trying to prove that "my God is better than yours," that my beliefs are the only real truth.
All beliefs are bullshit! Faith is important; belief is not. Faith is based on intuition. Belief is cognitive, with a large side of emotion thrown in just to spice things up. Faith unites. Belief divides.
So, this Easter enjoy the eggs, the bunny, the chocolate. Drink a toast to Jesus, one helluva good spiritual teacher. Forget the resurrection, the virgin birth, the "only son of god" and all the other myths that surround Jesus. Find your own Christ Mind, see Christ in everyone; no beliefs required.
-- message seen on a T-shirt
Easter seems like the appropriate day to pass along this bit of T-shirt wisdom. Nothing is worse than a bunch of rabid believers. If most people who claim to be Christians lived at all like Jesus did, this planet would be a much better place. Instead, most so-called followers of Jesus seem more concerned with belief than action. They'd rather convert us heathens to their way of thinking than transcend thinking altogether and experience Christ Consciousness.
Followers are always an immature and sketchy lot. In a perfect world, everyone would create their own, personalized religion that uniquely reflected universal values. Or they would live their lives from a deep, natural wisdom that required no religion at all. As it is, we have competitive bands of believers each trying to prove that "my God is better than yours," that my beliefs are the only real truth.
All beliefs are bullshit! Faith is important; belief is not. Faith is based on intuition. Belief is cognitive, with a large side of emotion thrown in just to spice things up. Faith unites. Belief divides.
So, this Easter enjoy the eggs, the bunny, the chocolate. Drink a toast to Jesus, one helluva good spiritual teacher. Forget the resurrection, the virgin birth, the "only son of god" and all the other myths that surround Jesus. Find your own Christ Mind, see Christ in everyone; no beliefs required.
The Ecstasy Groove
"Ecstasy doesn't last. But it cuts a groove for something that does last."
-- E.M. Forster
Ecstasy is necessary, but hardly sufficient, for the good life. Can you imagine how dull and routine a life without ecstasy would be? But merely bouncing from one ecstatic moment to another is like being on an endless sugar buzz.
Ecstasy's purpose is to take us to the top of the mountain, to give us the experience of unity and love and oneness. But when we come down, ecstasy doesn't tell us how to live. It doesn't automatically translate into life lessons that we can operate by in the so-called real world. That's where insight and wisdom enter the picture.
Ecstasy "cuts a groove" for Spirit, a groove in which wisdom takes birth, in which insight blossoms. Without the ecstatic experience we merely have dry, second hand knowledge. We may try valiantly to translate book learning into mindful actions and behaviors, but without the true ecstatic experience of Spirt, our efforts bear no fruit. Ecstasy and insight are both necessary for us to live our lives powerfully and fully.
So, by all means, allow ecstasy to enter your life. But don't stop there. Let the grooves that ecstasy cuts into your psyche, into your heart, fill with Spirt, with compassion, with love. And from that fertile soil let wisdom spring. Out of that potent concoction of ecstasy and insight your life path will unfold. Pay attention and live a deep, groovy life!
-- E.M. Forster
Ecstasy is necessary, but hardly sufficient, for the good life. Can you imagine how dull and routine a life without ecstasy would be? But merely bouncing from one ecstatic moment to another is like being on an endless sugar buzz.
Ecstasy's purpose is to take us to the top of the mountain, to give us the experience of unity and love and oneness. But when we come down, ecstasy doesn't tell us how to live. It doesn't automatically translate into life lessons that we can operate by in the so-called real world. That's where insight and wisdom enter the picture.
Ecstasy "cuts a groove" for Spirit, a groove in which wisdom takes birth, in which insight blossoms. Without the ecstatic experience we merely have dry, second hand knowledge. We may try valiantly to translate book learning into mindful actions and behaviors, but without the true ecstatic experience of Spirt, our efforts bear no fruit. Ecstasy and insight are both necessary for us to live our lives powerfully and fully.
So, by all means, allow ecstasy to enter your life. But don't stop there. Let the grooves that ecstasy cuts into your psyche, into your heart, fill with Spirt, with compassion, with love. And from that fertile soil let wisdom spring. Out of that potent concoction of ecstasy and insight your life path will unfold. Pay attention and live a deep, groovy life!
Barriers to Love
"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."
-- A Course in Miracles
When we seek externally, we are always seeking in the wrong direction. Not only does the Kingdom of Heaven lie within, so do the barriers to the Kingdom. Scouring the streets, the bars, the classrooms, even the churches for love is as ridiculous as looking for the Kingdom of Heaven there. It all lies within -- the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly.
Once the barriers to love are found within, the light of consciousness destroys them. You do not have to do anything. Awareness does it all. Merely become completely conscious of the obstacles to love and those obstacles will dissolve.
And then you can take your love out into the world. And when you do, you will find that the world will match it. Without awareness of the love you harbor within, the world looks to be a loveless place. But as soon as you awaken to your own love, love is suddenly everywhere! You don't need to look for it; it finds you.
So, today, do a scrupulous self-inventory: What are your internal barriers to love? Ferret them out and shine the light of consciousness on them. Let them dissolve like icebergs in the sun. Let your heart melt. Let love emerge -- first within you, then outside of you. One love, united at last.
-- A Course in Miracles
When we seek externally, we are always seeking in the wrong direction. Not only does the Kingdom of Heaven lie within, so do the barriers to the Kingdom. Scouring the streets, the bars, the classrooms, even the churches for love is as ridiculous as looking for the Kingdom of Heaven there. It all lies within -- the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly.
Once the barriers to love are found within, the light of consciousness destroys them. You do not have to do anything. Awareness does it all. Merely become completely conscious of the obstacles to love and those obstacles will dissolve.
And then you can take your love out into the world. And when you do, you will find that the world will match it. Without awareness of the love you harbor within, the world looks to be a loveless place. But as soon as you awaken to your own love, love is suddenly everywhere! You don't need to look for it; it finds you.
So, today, do a scrupulous self-inventory: What are your internal barriers to love? Ferret them out and shine the light of consciousness on them. Let them dissolve like icebergs in the sun. Let your heart melt. Let love emerge -- first within you, then outside of you. One love, united at last.
The Circle of Ecstasy
"And consider this: Every second (or so I hope) someone somewhere is having an ecstatic orgasm with someone he or she loves. I think the circle of ecstasy is probably doing as much to keep the world from flying apart as is any other force."
-- Marianne Willaimson. The Age of Miracles, p. 86.
Buddha's First Noble Truth is "Life is suffering." And granted, there is alot of suffering in life. But life is also orgasms and ecstasy! The coin has two sides. Thank God life isn't just suffering. And, that as Buddha points out, there is a path, or paths, beyond suffering.
Not all of those paths are ascetic. Some are more tantric in nature and include embracing passion rather than eschewing it. The "trick" is in enjoying passion without attachment. Or has been said about Zen, doing your damndest without giving a damn. These paths walk both a fine line and a slippery slope. But in following them, one lives life to its fullest.
So, you want to do your part "to keep the world from flying apart" don't you? Then today enter the circle of ecstasy. Get together with one you love and show each other your O faces. Share your love both physically and soulfully. Celebrate passion. Celebrate life. Help balance out the suffering in the world by letting it go and surrendering into ecstasy.
You'll be glad you did!
-- Marianne Willaimson. The Age of Miracles, p. 86.
Buddha's First Noble Truth is "Life is suffering." And granted, there is alot of suffering in life. But life is also orgasms and ecstasy! The coin has two sides. Thank God life isn't just suffering. And, that as Buddha points out, there is a path, or paths, beyond suffering.
Not all of those paths are ascetic. Some are more tantric in nature and include embracing passion rather than eschewing it. The "trick" is in enjoying passion without attachment. Or has been said about Zen, doing your damndest without giving a damn. These paths walk both a fine line and a slippery slope. But in following them, one lives life to its fullest.
So, you want to do your part "to keep the world from flying apart" don't you? Then today enter the circle of ecstasy. Get together with one you love and show each other your O faces. Share your love both physically and soulfully. Celebrate passion. Celebrate life. Help balance out the suffering in the world by letting it go and surrendering into ecstasy.
You'll be glad you did!
The Best Season of Your Life
"If your mind isn't clouded by unnecessary things, this is the best season of your life."
-- Wu-Men
What are unnecessary things? Damn near everything we think about! Starting off with fears and worries, running through gossip and painful memories, all the way through beliefs and opinions -- all are unnecessary. And those are just the tip of the iceberg. To put it succinctly, all mind clouds are unnecessary.
And without them what do we have? The Present, Reality, Now. We have this sacred moment, and however it unfolds it is the best season of your life. Until the next moment, which is equally best. Comparisons become unnecessary as well, when each moment is accepted and embraced fully. Without the mind clouds each moment shines with natural luminosity.
Each day is an exercise in alchemical, mental climatology, an exercise in letting go of the clouds and allowing the bright to shine through. Each season, best season. Now and forever. Amen.
-- Wu-Men
What are unnecessary things? Damn near everything we think about! Starting off with fears and worries, running through gossip and painful memories, all the way through beliefs and opinions -- all are unnecessary. And those are just the tip of the iceberg. To put it succinctly, all mind clouds are unnecessary.
And without them what do we have? The Present, Reality, Now. We have this sacred moment, and however it unfolds it is the best season of your life. Until the next moment, which is equally best. Comparisons become unnecessary as well, when each moment is accepted and embraced fully. Without the mind clouds each moment shines with natural luminosity.
Each day is an exercise in alchemical, mental climatology, an exercise in letting go of the clouds and allowing the bright to shine through. Each season, best season. Now and forever. Amen.
A Voice Within
"If you hear a voice within you say 'you can't paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."
-- Vincent Van Gogh
The voice of self-doubt has a powerful presence within most of us. It stops us dead in our tracks from doing some of the things we'd most like to do. It says, "you can't do that," and "quit being so foolish," and "who do you think you are?" It undermines our dreams, our desires, and our development. It is the voice of fear.
And Vince is right on the money -- do whatever the voice says you can't. Do it from your heart, from your passion. Don't worry whether you do it well or not. Don't worry about the opinion of others. Do it for the sheer joy of doing it.
The voice of self-doubt will undoubtedly regroup and find something else to bug you about later. So be it. Do that thing to. And the next and the next. Action silences doubt. And it brings a whole slew of enjoyable experiences into your life.
So today when the voice whispers 'you can't do that', just ignore the SOB, and do it anyway! That is unless the voice says "you can't cut off your ear." Then, unlike Vincent, calmly reply, "I'm sure I can, but I choose not to," and go on about your day.
-- Vincent Van Gogh
The voice of self-doubt has a powerful presence within most of us. It stops us dead in our tracks from doing some of the things we'd most like to do. It says, "you can't do that," and "quit being so foolish," and "who do you think you are?" It undermines our dreams, our desires, and our development. It is the voice of fear.
And Vince is right on the money -- do whatever the voice says you can't. Do it from your heart, from your passion. Don't worry whether you do it well or not. Don't worry about the opinion of others. Do it for the sheer joy of doing it.
The voice of self-doubt will undoubtedly regroup and find something else to bug you about later. So be it. Do that thing to. And the next and the next. Action silences doubt. And it brings a whole slew of enjoyable experiences into your life.
So today when the voice whispers 'you can't do that', just ignore the SOB, and do it anyway! That is unless the voice says "you can't cut off your ear." Then, unlike Vincent, calmly reply, "I'm sure I can, but I choose not to," and go on about your day.
Bye Bye God
"In dark ages people are best guided by religion, as in a pitch-black night a blind man is the best guide; he knows the roads and paths better than a man who can see. When daylight comes, however, it is foolish to use blind old men as guides."
-- Heinrich Heine. Gedanken und Einfalle
It's easy to make a case that historically religion has done more harm than good. And from what I can see, the trend continues unabated through the present day. On the simplest, but most profound, level, it is because religions are by their very nature divisive. Beliefs separate people rather than bring them together. Belief is not only unnecessary, it is downright dangerous.
What's the alternative? Faith without belief. Faith in the goodness of humanity. Faith in the reality of Now. Faith in the Universe itself. We don't need to believe in a creator God. We don't need to believe in myths of virgin birth or golden tablets or reincarnation or anything else. All we need to do is be present, be kind, and have faith in ourselves, each other, and the Spirit, or Life Force, itself.
Spirit is not confined by denomination. It is not defined by beliefs or myths or theology. Spirit simply is the animating force of the world, the life spark in all that is. To have faith in life itself requires no separation, no divisive groupings. It's so easy to see that we are all in this together; so why don't we begin to act from that fact?
Starting today drop your beliefs like hot potatoes! Let them go, and then go within. Consciously experience the life force pulsing inside of you. Forget the second hand God foisted upon us by all religions. He's not dead. He never lived. You, on the other hand, are alive hear and now. Leave the musty churches and moldy temples, walk out into the sunlight, breathe in the fresh air and live, live, live!
-- Heinrich Heine. Gedanken und Einfalle
It's easy to make a case that historically religion has done more harm than good. And from what I can see, the trend continues unabated through the present day. On the simplest, but most profound, level, it is because religions are by their very nature divisive. Beliefs separate people rather than bring them together. Belief is not only unnecessary, it is downright dangerous.
What's the alternative? Faith without belief. Faith in the goodness of humanity. Faith in the reality of Now. Faith in the Universe itself. We don't need to believe in a creator God. We don't need to believe in myths of virgin birth or golden tablets or reincarnation or anything else. All we need to do is be present, be kind, and have faith in ourselves, each other, and the Spirit, or Life Force, itself.
Spirit is not confined by denomination. It is not defined by beliefs or myths or theology. Spirit simply is the animating force of the world, the life spark in all that is. To have faith in life itself requires no separation, no divisive groupings. It's so easy to see that we are all in this together; so why don't we begin to act from that fact?
Starting today drop your beliefs like hot potatoes! Let them go, and then go within. Consciously experience the life force pulsing inside of you. Forget the second hand God foisted upon us by all religions. He's not dead. He never lived. You, on the other hand, are alive hear and now. Leave the musty churches and moldy temples, walk out into the sunlight, breathe in the fresh air and live, live, live!
Open Ended
"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."
-- Carl Bard
What's done is done. No use playing with the psychic feces that remain in your brain. Let it go.
You're here now. This is a new dawn, the first day of the rest of your life -- you know, all that trite crap that you see on bumper stickers! Trite but true. What your future looks like will depend much more upon your today than upon your yesterday. The first three chapters may be written, but the rest of your novel life is nothing but blank pages.
Let's try and put it in the form of an equation. Reality + Imagination + Serendipity = Future. In other words what is, added to what you imagine, plus an uncontrollable, unknowable X factor equals your future. Exciting! It is not written. It is not predetermined. It is not fated. It is open ended, and you have at least some degree of influence on how it all turns out.
But ironically the best endings are created by not focusing on the ending at all. Pouring your energy, your mind, your heart into the present is the best way to increase your odds of having a magnificent future.
So, begin. Right from where you presently stand. Right from this point in time. Do what needs to be done next. And next and next and on and on. And do it all with both eyes and heart wide open, with enthusiasm and joy.
You see, joy is an endless feedback loop. The more you put into the world, the more that comes back to you, which means you have even more to put into the world, and it's like an infinity sign of joy looping back on itself and building momentum moment by moment. Me? I'm off to take a joyous shower. G'day!
-- Carl Bard
What's done is done. No use playing with the psychic feces that remain in your brain. Let it go.
You're here now. This is a new dawn, the first day of the rest of your life -- you know, all that trite crap that you see on bumper stickers! Trite but true. What your future looks like will depend much more upon your today than upon your yesterday. The first three chapters may be written, but the rest of your novel life is nothing but blank pages.
Let's try and put it in the form of an equation. Reality + Imagination + Serendipity = Future. In other words what is, added to what you imagine, plus an uncontrollable, unknowable X factor equals your future. Exciting! It is not written. It is not predetermined. It is not fated. It is open ended, and you have at least some degree of influence on how it all turns out.
But ironically the best endings are created by not focusing on the ending at all. Pouring your energy, your mind, your heart into the present is the best way to increase your odds of having a magnificent future.
So, begin. Right from where you presently stand. Right from this point in time. Do what needs to be done next. And next and next and on and on. And do it all with both eyes and heart wide open, with enthusiasm and joy.
You see, joy is an endless feedback loop. The more you put into the world, the more that comes back to you, which means you have even more to put into the world, and it's like an infinity sign of joy looping back on itself and building momentum moment by moment. Me? I'm off to take a joyous shower. G'day!
You Know the Answer
"Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer and wish we didn't."
-- Erica Jong
The answers lie within. It's as simple as that. No, not the answers to factual questions like the Gross Domestic Product of Uruguay, or the 13th Vice-President of the United States. For those you might need Google or Wikipedia or an economist with a good memory for political history.
The kind of answers that lie dormant within you are the answers to non-factual, personal questions. Questions like, "Should I marry Jim, or go to law school, or both?" Somewhere deep inside you, you know whether you really want to marry Jim and whether you really want to go to law school. Your sister doesn't know. Your favorite professor doesn't know. Your best friend doesn't know. Neither do Dear Abby nor Dr. Phil. You know.
Asking advice is a stalling technique. It helps you buy time to concoct a plausible reason for your answer. It can also be used to spread the blame. When you flunk out of law school and Jim divorces you, it's all your goddam sister's fault!
You don't need reasons for your decisions. You just need the guts to make them. You don't need a team of advisors. You just need to hone your intuition. One of the best pieces of unsolicited advice I ever received was, "Don't complain, don't explain." Look inside. You know it's true!
Intuition is defined in the dictionary as a "non-cognitive way of knowing." That means you know that you know, you just don't know how the hell you know! Intuition is how you mine the answers from the treasure trove of wisdom that is housed within you. Sometimes it comes like a bolt of lightning; sometimes like a fog slowly lifting. When the right answer arrives, you'll know it. Your challenge is to not turn away.
So sit down and shut up! Or go for a run. Or volunteer at a soup kitchen. Or write in your journal. Do whatever it takes to get in touch with the deep, wise you. Your answer will emerge. And when it does, the really hard part begins -- living it.
-- Erica Jong
The answers lie within. It's as simple as that. No, not the answers to factual questions like the Gross Domestic Product of Uruguay, or the 13th Vice-President of the United States. For those you might need Google or Wikipedia or an economist with a good memory for political history.
The kind of answers that lie dormant within you are the answers to non-factual, personal questions. Questions like, "Should I marry Jim, or go to law school, or both?" Somewhere deep inside you, you know whether you really want to marry Jim and whether you really want to go to law school. Your sister doesn't know. Your favorite professor doesn't know. Your best friend doesn't know. Neither do Dear Abby nor Dr. Phil. You know.
Asking advice is a stalling technique. It helps you buy time to concoct a plausible reason for your answer. It can also be used to spread the blame. When you flunk out of law school and Jim divorces you, it's all your goddam sister's fault!
You don't need reasons for your decisions. You just need the guts to make them. You don't need a team of advisors. You just need to hone your intuition. One of the best pieces of unsolicited advice I ever received was, "Don't complain, don't explain." Look inside. You know it's true!
Intuition is defined in the dictionary as a "non-cognitive way of knowing." That means you know that you know, you just don't know how the hell you know! Intuition is how you mine the answers from the treasure trove of wisdom that is housed within you. Sometimes it comes like a bolt of lightning; sometimes like a fog slowly lifting. When the right answer arrives, you'll know it. Your challenge is to not turn away.
So sit down and shut up! Or go for a run. Or volunteer at a soup kitchen. Or write in your journal. Do whatever it takes to get in touch with the deep, wise you. Your answer will emerge. And when it does, the really hard part begins -- living it.
The Most Important Thing
"Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest between two deep breaths, or the turning inwards in prayer for five, short minutes."
-- Etty Hillesum
We are so damn busy! Even when we don't have to be. Even our kids and grandkids are over- booked. They have schedules and PDA's and karate lessons and soccer practice, and piano lessons and dance lessons and parties to attend, and, of course, shopping at the mall, and.... Whatever happened to unstructured time spent alone, or with friends? When I was a kid I played on a Little League team, went to camp and did a few other organized activities, but my favorite part of childhood was just hanging out, enjoying the day and letting it naturally unfold.
In the midst of the mad whirlwind we call life, the quiet times may indeed be the most important times. And as Etty points out, those quiet times can be just small stolen moments, short prayers and rests between breaths, but they are vital to our sense of sanity. Most of what we do because we think that it is either necessary or important is neither. It's just filler. It's stuff that we do on automatic pilot so that we don't really have to examine our lives. It's repetitive behavior, born of the herd mentality, that helps us fit in, but rarely makes for a joyous, exuberant life.
So, just for today, ferret out those small moments of silence. Relish them. Relax into them. And then maybe tomorrow you'll find more. And more still the next day. Over time, who knows? Your life may open up. You may make the free, unstructured moments a priority rather than an afterthought. And the long, luxurious summer afternoons of childhood may rise again to take their rightful place in your life. And when they do, you'll realize that the most important thing is merely to enjoy.
-- Etty Hillesum
We are so damn busy! Even when we don't have to be. Even our kids and grandkids are over- booked. They have schedules and PDA's and karate lessons and soccer practice, and piano lessons and dance lessons and parties to attend, and, of course, shopping at the mall, and.... Whatever happened to unstructured time spent alone, or with friends? When I was a kid I played on a Little League team, went to camp and did a few other organized activities, but my favorite part of childhood was just hanging out, enjoying the day and letting it naturally unfold.
In the midst of the mad whirlwind we call life, the quiet times may indeed be the most important times. And as Etty points out, those quiet times can be just small stolen moments, short prayers and rests between breaths, but they are vital to our sense of sanity. Most of what we do because we think that it is either necessary or important is neither. It's just filler. It's stuff that we do on automatic pilot so that we don't really have to examine our lives. It's repetitive behavior, born of the herd mentality, that helps us fit in, but rarely makes for a joyous, exuberant life.
So, just for today, ferret out those small moments of silence. Relish them. Relax into them. And then maybe tomorrow you'll find more. And more still the next day. Over time, who knows? Your life may open up. You may make the free, unstructured moments a priority rather than an afterthought. And the long, luxurious summer afternoons of childhood may rise again to take their rightful place in your life. And when they do, you'll realize that the most important thing is merely to enjoy.
Thoughts
"Whatever you might hope to find
Among the thoughts that crowd your mind
There won't be many that ever really matter."
-- Jackson Browne
Do you realize that 90%, or more, of the thoughts you think today will be the same ones you thought yesterday? "I wish spring would hurry up and get here. Where should I go for lunch? What are the kids up to? Do I look fat in this outfit? What time is it?" On and on and on ad infinitum -- the same thoughts day in and day out.
Some experts say thoughts are merely a series of internal questions that we ask ourselves, and then answer. It all begins the moment you awake. "What time is it? What day is it? Do I need to get up? What am I suppose to do today?" The thought stream is up and running, and you're off to the races! Writer Joseph Chilton Pearce calls it "roof brain chatter," and it pretty much fills both our craniums and our days.
But if you meditate, or walk in nature, or quiet down enough in some other way, you might begin to notice the gap between thoughts, the silence out of which the best thoughts emerge. Most of the time the "train of thought" is just one railroad car after another, blurring together at breakneck speed and stretching out to the horizon. But if you slow down physically, eventually your thought process slows down, and you may make some amazing discoveries -- new thoughts!
At least new for you. New perspectives, different (less mundane) questions, alternative ways of seeing or constructing the world. Those are the thoughts that at least have a chance of mattering. All the rest, the reruns, the humdrum of everyday life are just space fillers or at best low level life maintenance.
So, today begin taking a little time to slow down and notice the gaps between thoughts. Reside in those empty spaces when at all possible, and let some new and different thoughts emerge. You'll still remember to pick up the dry cleaning. And if you don't, it will wait patiently for you until tomorrow.
Go deeper. Thoughts can be great tools, but they are not life itself. Beneath the stream of thought lies the deep, underground river of life. Tap into it and see how everything changes.
Among the thoughts that crowd your mind
There won't be many that ever really matter."
-- Jackson Browne
Do you realize that 90%, or more, of the thoughts you think today will be the same ones you thought yesterday? "I wish spring would hurry up and get here. Where should I go for lunch? What are the kids up to? Do I look fat in this outfit? What time is it?" On and on and on ad infinitum -- the same thoughts day in and day out.
Some experts say thoughts are merely a series of internal questions that we ask ourselves, and then answer. It all begins the moment you awake. "What time is it? What day is it? Do I need to get up? What am I suppose to do today?" The thought stream is up and running, and you're off to the races! Writer Joseph Chilton Pearce calls it "roof brain chatter," and it pretty much fills both our craniums and our days.
But if you meditate, or walk in nature, or quiet down enough in some other way, you might begin to notice the gap between thoughts, the silence out of which the best thoughts emerge. Most of the time the "train of thought" is just one railroad car after another, blurring together at breakneck speed and stretching out to the horizon. But if you slow down physically, eventually your thought process slows down, and you may make some amazing discoveries -- new thoughts!
At least new for you. New perspectives, different (less mundane) questions, alternative ways of seeing or constructing the world. Those are the thoughts that at least have a chance of mattering. All the rest, the reruns, the humdrum of everyday life are just space fillers or at best low level life maintenance.
So, today begin taking a little time to slow down and notice the gaps between thoughts. Reside in those empty spaces when at all possible, and let some new and different thoughts emerge. You'll still remember to pick up the dry cleaning. And if you don't, it will wait patiently for you until tomorrow.
Go deeper. Thoughts can be great tools, but they are not life itself. Beneath the stream of thought lies the deep, underground river of life. Tap into it and see how everything changes.
Quality of Consciousness
"If it is the quality of your consciousness at this moment that determines the future, then what is it that determines the quality of your consciousness? Your degree of presence."
-- Eckhart Tolle. (Practicing the Power of Now, p. 38).
Many of us were taught that a high quality future requires intricate planning, years of sacrifice and oodles of money. But what if it's much simpler than that? What if simply being here now will make being there then much, much better?
That's exactly what Oprah's new literary darling, Eckhart Tolle, suggests. Be fully and completely present and your best possible future will unfold. I don't think he's saying don't save or don't plan, but I do think he's advising, don't worry. Much of what people call planning for the future seems to be just worry in disguise.
Being present means that your consciousness is not running off all over the place reliving the past or speculating about the future. When you're fully present your actions are centered and powerful, and so they are more likely to produce good results. Good results are the pathway to a good future. Simple.
Try it. If you start to future-trip, worry, or dance off into a fantasy land of possibilities, focus instead on the present moment. Watching your breath is a good way to anchor yourself in the present. Or simply be completely mindful of the world around you and whatever activity you are presently undertaking. Do what you need to do right here, right now. Feel the quality of your consciousness grow. And know that by being completely present you are doing your damndest to create a wonderful tomorrow.
-- Eckhart Tolle. (Practicing the Power of Now, p. 38).
Many of us were taught that a high quality future requires intricate planning, years of sacrifice and oodles of money. But what if it's much simpler than that? What if simply being here now will make being there then much, much better?
That's exactly what Oprah's new literary darling, Eckhart Tolle, suggests. Be fully and completely present and your best possible future will unfold. I don't think he's saying don't save or don't plan, but I do think he's advising, don't worry. Much of what people call planning for the future seems to be just worry in disguise.
Being present means that your consciousness is not running off all over the place reliving the past or speculating about the future. When you're fully present your actions are centered and powerful, and so they are more likely to produce good results. Good results are the pathway to a good future. Simple.
Try it. If you start to future-trip, worry, or dance off into a fantasy land of possibilities, focus instead on the present moment. Watching your breath is a good way to anchor yourself in the present. Or simply be completely mindful of the world around you and whatever activity you are presently undertaking. Do what you need to do right here, right now. Feel the quality of your consciousness grow. And know that by being completely present you are doing your damndest to create a wonderful tomorrow.
God Speaks
"The world is God's language to us."
-- Simone Weil
You know what they say:" If you talk to God, you're praying. If God talks to you, you're crazy!" Well, God is talking to you all the time. It's just that His words require a bit of detective work on your part.
What is God saying to you? What is the world telling you? Listen. You may get the message through a conversation overheard on the street, or in the lyrics of a popular song, or on a billboard as you flash by at 60 mph, or in an email from your grandmother. Not only does God work in mysterious ways, He speaks in mysterious ways, too.
One day years ago I left the office of my spiritual director and got into my car. It was at a low point in my life -- I was going through a divorce, misemployed, drinking too much, you know, living my life like it was a bad country song. I turned on the radio in the car and, lo and behold, a real country song blasts from the speakers. I have no idea the title or the artist. All I remember was one line -- "You don't know love" -- and I knew immediatley that was my message from God.
At first I was kind of pissed off! What do You mean I don't know love? I'm one lean, mean, lovin' machine! But then, in an instant, a new meaning emerged -- you don't know love. In other words, love is not something you know, but something you feel, something you experience, something you are. I was still approaching love through my brain instead of my heart. The message was clear.
So, beginning today listen for your own personal messages from the Universe. Be open to any and all avenues of communication, from Bazooka Joe Bubble Gum comics to the toothless grin of the wino on the corner, from ancient holy texts to the latest independent films, from Shakespearean sonnets, to back alley graffiti. Look! Listen! The language of God is everywhere! What do you hear?
-- Simone Weil
You know what they say:" If you talk to God, you're praying. If God talks to you, you're crazy!" Well, God is talking to you all the time. It's just that His words require a bit of detective work on your part.
What is God saying to you? What is the world telling you? Listen. You may get the message through a conversation overheard on the street, or in the lyrics of a popular song, or on a billboard as you flash by at 60 mph, or in an email from your grandmother. Not only does God work in mysterious ways, He speaks in mysterious ways, too.
One day years ago I left the office of my spiritual director and got into my car. It was at a low point in my life -- I was going through a divorce, misemployed, drinking too much, you know, living my life like it was a bad country song. I turned on the radio in the car and, lo and behold, a real country song blasts from the speakers. I have no idea the title or the artist. All I remember was one line -- "You don't know love" -- and I knew immediatley that was my message from God.
At first I was kind of pissed off! What do You mean I don't know love? I'm one lean, mean, lovin' machine! But then, in an instant, a new meaning emerged -- you don't know love. In other words, love is not something you know, but something you feel, something you experience, something you are. I was still approaching love through my brain instead of my heart. The message was clear.
So, beginning today listen for your own personal messages from the Universe. Be open to any and all avenues of communication, from Bazooka Joe Bubble Gum comics to the toothless grin of the wino on the corner, from ancient holy texts to the latest independent films, from Shakespearean sonnets, to back alley graffiti. Look! Listen! The language of God is everywhere! What do you hear?
The Stress-Free Zone
"Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important."
-- Natalie Goldberg
Have you noticed that when a real crisis happens, you respond instantaneously. There may be fear, you may get a huge adrenaline rush, but there is no stress because there is no time for stress; an immediate response is required.
Stress is born of the mating of thinking and time. You create it between your ears, and mistake this phantom being for reality. It's not, it never is.
Stress takes root in the fantasy world of "what if..." It is a form of the Catastrophic Expectations Game. What if I fail the test? What if I oversleep and miss my flight? Or, worse, yet, what if the plane crashes in a wheat field in Kansas? Stress is the byproduct of what motivational speaker Zig Ziglar calls "stinkin' thinkin'."
There's no use stressing out about the things you can't control, like the flight of an airplane. And for the things you can control or influence, you can only do your best, no more. The simple fact is stress never helps you do your best. If anything it robs you of the energy you need to be at the top of your game.
So, next time you feel yourself stressing out, check you're thinking. Look specifically at your self-talk. What are you telling yourself about the over-importance of the event, issue, or person over whom you are stressing? What catastrophic expectations are you feeding? And then burst out laughing! Or at least shake your head and mange a wan smile.
The old chestnut "Let go and let God" is a powerful course of action to dislodge stress. It doesn't even matter if there's a so-called God or not! The let go part is really the most important. No forthcoming emergencies. No catastrophes on the horizon. Let go of all that nonsense and be right here, right now. The present is always the stress-free zone
-- Natalie Goldberg
Have you noticed that when a real crisis happens, you respond instantaneously. There may be fear, you may get a huge adrenaline rush, but there is no stress because there is no time for stress; an immediate response is required.
Stress is born of the mating of thinking and time. You create it between your ears, and mistake this phantom being for reality. It's not, it never is.
Stress takes root in the fantasy world of "what if..." It is a form of the Catastrophic Expectations Game. What if I fail the test? What if I oversleep and miss my flight? Or, worse, yet, what if the plane crashes in a wheat field in Kansas? Stress is the byproduct of what motivational speaker Zig Ziglar calls "stinkin' thinkin'."
There's no use stressing out about the things you can't control, like the flight of an airplane. And for the things you can control or influence, you can only do your best, no more. The simple fact is stress never helps you do your best. If anything it robs you of the energy you need to be at the top of your game.
So, next time you feel yourself stressing out, check you're thinking. Look specifically at your self-talk. What are you telling yourself about the over-importance of the event, issue, or person over whom you are stressing? What catastrophic expectations are you feeding? And then burst out laughing! Or at least shake your head and mange a wan smile.
The old chestnut "Let go and let God" is a powerful course of action to dislodge stress. It doesn't even matter if there's a so-called God or not! The let go part is really the most important. No forthcoming emergencies. No catastrophes on the horizon. Let go of all that nonsense and be right here, right now. The present is always the stress-free zone
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