Natural Contribution

"We make a contribution to the world just by being ourselves in every moment."

-- Shakti Gawain

Sounds simple enough. What could be easier than being yourself?

Look again. How much time do you spend trying to be who you think you should be, a better version of you, you 2.0? And then, how much time do you spend trying to be who you think someone else wants you to be -- be they your partner, parent, boss, or friend?

Being you may seem simple, but it's not necessarily easy.

What makes it so important, though, is that no one else can be you, no one else can make your contribution to this crazy, beautiful, mixed-up world. Just being yourself brings a new random element, an innovative energy into the universal mix. Never before, and never again, will the contribution you make her and now be possible. You yourself won't even be able to make it because who you will be tomorrow is not who you are today. Who you will be an hour from now will even be different from who you are in this unique moment in time.

So, for God's sake, don't strive for consistency! Let yourself change and grow, and as you change and grow, so will your contribution. Being yourself is not a stagnant state of affairs in which you put your beliefs and behaviors in lockdown mode and attempt to operate from that self-created prison of consistency for the rest of your life.

Being yourself is being wild and free, being open and alive to this moment and every moment and letting the opportunities to contribute to the world emerge from your direct interaction with reality.

You don't have to win the Nobel Peace Prize to contribute. You don't have to cure cancer, become a philanthropist, or make the world's best pizza. All you have to do is what you love, and what is placed before you with love. The rest will take care of itself.

Beyond Soul Abandonment

"Aiming toward the future we sacrifice the present. By looking outside ourselves for what is missing, we subject ourselves, our souls, to the pain of abandonment."

-- A.H. Almaas

What if someone were to tell you that you don't need anything, that you don't need to go anywhere, that you don't need to improve yourself, make any changes, or be saved to be wildly and joyfully free right here, right now -- would you believe them? Because really, that's what old A.H. is saying. And that's what every holy man worth his loin cloth, every saint worth her halo has been saying for millenniums now. 

This is it. This moment. Right here, right now. Everything else, both past and future, is just a fantasy. You are it. At the deepest level, you and the Divine are one. No need to go on some sort of spiritual scavenger hunt, all you need is within you. 

I know, I know, it's kind of hard to believe, especially when you're having a really crappy day. But crappy days are just waves on the surface of a deep, calm ocean. No matter how big the waves, the true nature of the sea doesn't change. That's why meditation, contemplation, and "just sitting" are recommended by so many spiritual teachers and traditions -- to calm the waves of your oceanic mind and see to its depths. 

So, today's advice is simple -- don't just do something, sit there! Sit quietly for at least a small portion of your day, perhaps even for multiple small portions, and begin to see, to feel the all-rightness of the now, the prefect completeness of your self. Don't "chase what matters;" let what matters quietly reveal itself to you. 

And it will. And when it does, soul, self, time and place will be as one. One perfect moment in a series of perfect moments that make up your life. Perfectly you, perfectly present in joy!

Three Instructions

"The Three Instructions:
Be Yourself.
Question Stressful Thoughts
Keep the Channel Open."

-- Molly Gordon. The Way of the Accidental Entrepreneur.

I love it when things come in threes! Threes are easy to remember, have a certain symmetry, and hey, how hard can it be to do just three things? Well, in this case, maybe a bit more difficult than it appears upon first blush.

Be yourself. Of course I'm myself -- who the hell else could I be? But am I being my deepest, most authentic self, or am I just lazily adopting a persona that is as comfortable as an old shoe, and even less functional and attractive? True, your self has many facets, but you know in your heart of hearts which components are of the essence and which are cultural overlays. Nourish the former, jettison the latter.

"The economy is in the shitter, and I'm going to lose my job and starve!" That's a stressful thought. But with just a modicum of questioning, it's easy to see its lack of plausibility. You aren't going to starve -- you'll be a dumpster-diving, jug-wine drinking bag lady. Ooops, another stressful thought!

In reality, most stressful thoughts are subtle. They eat away at us, especially when they're on an endless loop. They are the type of thoughts that question our personal worth, the goodness of others, the beauty of the world. Many times these thoughts propose absurd catastrophic expectations.

Whenever you catch yourself in Stressful Thoughtville, question the veracity of the thought. Is it likely, is it even knowable, is it useful? Most stressful thoughts will get three resounding no's! Drop them like you'd drop OJ Simpson from your wedding guest list, and move on.

Finally, continually open and re-open your channel to the Divine. Let the energy of the Universe course into you and through you. Become like a hollow bamboo through which the Divine can flow. That openness will wash away all stressful thoughts. That openness will lead you to your true self.

Be - Question - Open. Three simple things to do. Three powerful ways to explore, expand and experience the real you.

Your Inner Asshole

"I can only understand and love you when I accept me. I can only live life without bitterness when I accept me. When I accept the ashole within me, the entire world becomes saints."

-- Ananda Abinou

Sure, you've got God within you. That inner spark of the Divine may be small, but it burns oh so brightly. Every yogi worth his loin cloth, every Christ worth his cross has told you that. And still you don't believe it, you don't live as if you and the Primordial Ground of Being are One.

So, let's try a different approach. You may not be able to accept your own divinity, but if you're truly honest with yourself, you know there are times when you're a real asshole! You know, those times when ego takes over, when you are far less than loving, when you hold a grudge, or judge others harshly, or eat the last piece of chocolate when you've already had more than your share. Let's capitalize on that insight into your lesser qualities. Let's enter the Divine through the back door. Let's head straight to Heaven through your inner asshole!

It's simple: You look at the worst of your behavior and learn to accept it. Simple, not necessarily easy. Whatever you've thought, done, or felt does not define you. You let it go, and lo and behold, you're still standing. Accepting your worst behavior does not mean that you indulge it, though. Truly seeing it takes you through it and beyond it. Then, you, too, will be on the road to the World of Saints that Ananda talks about above.

You avoid your Light because it shines too bright. You avoid your darkness because it's way too scary. But sometimes there is a certain comfort in the dark. It is at least familiar. And so you enter it. When you do, you have entered the Path of the Inner Asshole. When you accept yourself completely -- all the warts, pimples, and blemishes on your soul -- you also can accept others completely, accept the world completely. And then, everyone is a saint, all of life is divine.

Sure, you've come in through the back door. Who cares? Take a shower, relax. You're home.