I’ve caught myself a few times lately doing something I think I have been doing all of my life (thanks to my increased level of mindfulness): Looking for reasons for everything. After finding myself doing it, I discovered why it is I seem to always be looking for reasons. The bottom line of the search seems to be to find something to blame (call it attribute if you like) for that phenomena. Or, possibly to escape blaming myself for that particular event. At first I thought I was just a pattern searcher, but then I realized that the pattern I was seeking had that common thread. I wanted to discover why something is the way it is so that I could rest assured that it’s not my fault.
Well, I don’t do that anymore. I have now come to the realization that the entire world already revolves around me. I am the cause behind every event in my life. These different forms that come into my awareness all day long are all being put there by me. And, they are being put there because they are exactly what I need to encounter in order to increase my level of awareness. For the past thirty plus years I have not been giving each event its due, but I am now.
Since I have no one else to blame for anything that happens to me, I am now free to use each life event to get me further down the path I am traveling, rather than getting bogged down in the search for ways to ensure I’m right and something else is wrong. A great weight has been lifted and I now see the world through different colored glasses. Ones that are not tinted by the film of self- rightfulness. I am now grateful for every event that happens to me knowing that there are no “bad” things.
When confronted by a difficult situation, I will be looking for the lessons I have not yet learned from countless previous encounters with that situation. I will be grateful for the opportunity to respond appropriately this time, and therefore grateful for everything that happens to me at every turn. I will also do my best to help others along if they are in need of help because that is ultimately what I feel drawn to do.
I will take every ache, pain, misstep, awkward moment, pause, negative emotion, naughty thought, as well as every peaceful moment or beautiful scene as a reminder to be present in this moment and practice acceptance for all that is. I will not judge myself harshly when I fail to live up to the high standard I have set and will treat myself compassionately if I find my mind wandering counterproductively. I will also treat others with that same level of compassion with which I treat myself, knowing that they too are human.
I will sit with and observe each negative emotion that occurs in my life from the standpoint of the observer behind my thoughts, because I know this to be the way to make negativity dissolve. For there are no negative situations, only negative thoughts about situations.
All of the pain and anger in the world is simply a mental position being perpetually fed by all that information we amass regarding who is to blame for what, while we maintain our own secure place of always being right. I am no longer afraid to be wrong and admit it even when I know I’m not, because I know that in the grand scheme of things it really doesn’t matter. So what and big deal will be the things I say to the things that used to get me worked up, because I am the one who gave them power over me.
In short, I’m free at last, thank God almighty I’m free at last!
After I wrote that, I cried and laughed at the same time and felt too moved to go back and fix any typos. I hope you enjoy.
Peace, love, and happiness (they are yours if you want them)
Trey
PS
I would like to say a special thank you to Eckhart Tolle for sharing his message with the world and doing it in such a simple and powerful way.
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