Letting the light in

Life.

It's not always easy, but it's a gift.

There's a tendency to want to make something of it -- and that's wonderful -- but only through the prism of doing.

But think about it. Is there anywhere to go? Anything to get? Anything to be?

Isn't this moment -- however it unfolds -- perfect?

No.

Wait.
Sit.
Breathe.

If you're lost in a sea of depression or angst, it will pass.

Remember, life (all of it including the thoughts) is impermanent, as is everything else.

I know, it's not the most favourable message to build a brand around but you'll discover as you age that all that doing isn't worth jack sh*t if you still feel lost to this world.

You might then ask, "If I'm not doing, what will happen?"

Nothing.

Nothing in the sense that you won't be rushing around like a mad fool hoping to climb another invisible mental construct -- Covey's ladder is such nonsense. What you'll be doing is accepting this moment and living it fully. That will mean accepting whatever shows up, being more mindful/attentive to the moment and accepting yourself exactly as you are.

And trust me, you will be willed to do some-thing -- think of it as your invisible power. Whether it will be right thing isn't the issue. You'll be moved in the same way you've always been, but this time you won't be looking to affix meaning to it.

It will be what it is.

Nothing more; nothing less.

Have a wonderful day.

Blessings,

Julian

Comments

Kindness et al.

Now, more than ever, we need to find a way through this collapsing world . Yes, there are lots of strategies, templates and exhortation we could employ but, truthfully, we know in our hearts that if only there was a little less hate and a lot more kindness the world would be a much better place - in so many ways. Then again, the trope has been done to death and look where it's got us. Not very far. Perhaps it is that we've an aversion to opening ourselves up in case we're taken advantage of or worse still. Perhaps it is that we don't feel it. It's more act than truth. Perhaps there's no quid pro quo. (Does there or should there be?) Truth is, I've no more an idea than you why the world is too often riven with a lust for hate when it should be in swoon to kindness. That doesn't (of course) stop me wondering. And wonder I will alongside all those other issues that continue to haunt me. Blessings, Julian

Where next?

At the moment, I'm deep into capitalism, having finished David Whyte's thought-provoking book, Ecocide: Kill The Company Before It Kills Us . If I'm honest, I'm not sure what I'm going to discover that I don't already know. That said, I'm not suggesting I know very much about (inter alia) Natural Capital, Green Swans or neoliberalism, but you don't need to be Einstein to work out that capitalism has been one of, if not the main enabler for the Anthropocene . Oh, that, and our insatiable, wanton desire for more stuff. Yes, that's right. Absent us, there wouldn't exist the corporate vehicle, less still greedy capitalists (I say that, of course, only mildly tongue-in-cheek.) As I've said so many times: we need the world; the world doesn't need us . And where does all this fit with the latest UK-wide CV19 restrictions and the catastrophic situation we find ourselves living in and through? Again, I'm not sure. Perhaps it is that we were n...

Back to nature

I'm just back from my daily walk with Alfie and Fidget. I managed to stay dry right until the end when the heavens opened; Alfie didn't mind; Fidget looked like she'd had enough. For me, the daily walk isn't just a way of raising my heart rate and enjoying the fresh air -- both very important -- it's a way to connect, deeply. In fact, I'd say it was in the same vein as meditation. There's always a temptation to get it over with, but these days I nearly always take a moment to stop, breathe in and out with a strong sense of purpose and listen to my environs. It grounds me. I don't take this for granted. I realise how fortunate I am to have Dartmoor on my doorstep and to have the time to walk this way. Actually, I'm pretty sure that even if I didn't live here, I'd find a way to connect with nature, even if I had to do it in some other way, e.g. gardening. Think about your own experience with nature. I'd be very surprised if...

Julian Summerhayes

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