This morning I started writing about life’s dramas whether on TV or in life and how there is a tendency to want the ‘bad guys’ to be gotten rid of somehow because they bring up feelings of great discomfort. It doesn’t matter if the object this discomfort is being projected on is real or fictional, it’s what is done with the feeling that matters. If the heart is closed and cold and pushing away, then that’s the energy I am contributing to the morphogenic field. If the heart is open, warm and compassionate then that’s what’s being contributed. Having experienced both responses (the former a lot more than the latter most of my life) I know which one I prefer and can choose as long as I’m aware of what’s going on.
What was a bit of a surprise for me in this musing was as I was thinking about life’s many dramas and how dualistic the thinking tends to be and I hit on feelings of helplessness, hopelessness and powerlessness (all familiar and generally unwanted). I decided to do the welcoming process on these feelings which of course includes feeling them completely and then letting go of ego desires. Seeing how these feelings tend to engender resistance and defensiveness and seem to be at the core of so much reactivity and pain I first thought they were likely born of the sense of separation and duality in being human.
Then another thought popped in, what if they are actually gifts of Spirit, not curses of being human. Whoa! What? Gifts? Feelings of helplessness, etc.? That had me sitting up straighter. It was like suddenly having a light bulb come on. Of course! In our small self we think we have or should have the answers, or we look out into the world and for other people to take away these uncomfortable feelings. We fight wars because of them and have all manner of conflict to try and make them go away or distract ourselves. But all these reactions only tend to deepen the unwanted feelings in the end. But what if they are here to help us, so that we realize the limits of our humanness and turn to Source instead? What if we learned to surrender to Source whenever we encounter these feelings and allowed ourselves to see beyond the illusions we have created to deal with the discomfort and entered the Holy Mystery instead?
Mystics throughout the ages have been telling us this, including the great mystic Jesus through his example, but did we get it? For the most part, I would have to say no. So, we keep creating more drama to distract ourselves. Having learned to surrender (and still very much in the process) I have experienced how freeing and enriching and expansive surrender really is, definitely my preference.
What about you?
Namaste
