In spiritual communities, you may hear that the journey on the spiritual path is to transcend the ego, and let go of the ties of the physical experience. Perhaps, if we were living in an ashram in India and had renounced all worldly possessions, this may be the case, however, the reality is that we are living in the world. We are what you would refer to as 'house-holders', those who live in the village, have jobs, families, and engage in the material world. Because of this, our ego creates an anchor of sorts within our experience as a human being.
The issue with the ego is that it can cling to an experience, an identity, familiarity, and a consistent pattern of behaviour. The ego likes when things stay the same. As soon as there’s a shift in life and change happens, things can become incredibly challenging. Why? One word - Attachment.
Attachment versus Non-Attachment
Attachment is a normal experience of being human. We enjoy comfort and familiarity. In addition to that, this life an be difficult to navigate at times with the drama, unkindness, and meanness within the 3D world. Attaching ourselves to an identity can create a certain level of ease and comfort in the mind but what we sometimes forget is that our lives are in a constant state of change. As long as everything goes according to the structure or plan we’ve created, we are okay.
It is in the moments when the mystery of life throws us a curve ball that we sometimes struggle. And while it may be uncomfortable, I believe the mystery is there to remind us that our experience on this physical earth is more than material, more than purely physical. Yes, we are manifest physical beings AND we are spirit. We carry a spark of divinity inside us! Realizing spirit as part of the whole picture, helps us to de-tach and loosen our grip on an ever-shifting physical landscape.
Truth in the Moment
So, when the ground is shifting beneath our feet and those carefully laid plans we made for ourselves go out the window, take a breath. Maybe a career has come to a close. Maybe a relationship has ended. Maybe the people you were counting on did not show up. Maybe you got sick or were injured. Whatever that shifting ground experience is for you, I think it’s best to start with the truth of where you are right now. Feel your feet under you. Feel sensation in your body. Notice your breath. What feelings might be coming up for you? Without suppressing them, allow them to bubble up. Exhale a little deeper into the experience. Say to yourself “Breath in, I am inhaling. Breath out, I am exhaling.” Become intimately connected to your experience through the breath. Let it become your anchor.
When you feel your nervous system calm down, ask the question, “How shall I proceed?” Listen to what the little voice inside you is saying…. And to know that the next step does not mean you will have the next twenty years of your life mapped out. It’s the next moment.
One. Breath. At a time.
Pure Potential In the Unknown
“Space, the final frontier.” With our hands loosening on the wheel, we ask “How do I proceed?” The mind likes to create road blocks and you may utter familiar words such as “I can’t do this. I can’t do that.” Ask yourself “WHO is this ‘I’ the mind is attempting to name? Who are you, really?” Try a re-frame. What CAN you do? Let go of the expectation or story of where you think this next step will take you. Listen deeply. The magic and your unfolding lies in the process of walking your path, not an idea of an outcome in a future experience. The future is an illusion. It’s not real. We have been so trained to fear the unknown that we try to create an idea of what will happen when the truth is, we have no idea. Notice any fear that surfaces, THAT'S what's real. This fear is connected to safety, to that fight or flight mechanism in your brain. The trick is to notice the fear while at the same time not let it take hold of the wheel. This is the work. When we remember that there is pure potential within our experience of being human, within this limitless experience, we start to open up to a mystery we are all part of and when we are in that space, we create our lives from a place of trust, listening, and connection within.
Today is a new day, friend. We aren’t where we were yesterday and the truth is, we don’t know what’s around the corner. As you read this now, life is coursing through you. Your life. This life is so sacred, so special. With your next breath, think of one thing you’re most grateful for and as you exhale, feel that gratitude expanding out into the tips of your toes and to the tips of your fingers and then, take your next step forward.
Grateful for you friend,
Tim
Grateful for YOU!