Coping, in a World Foreign to Itself

 

As long as we fear, as long as we’re anxious about our present, our past or our future conditions, we are the creator of the most difficult conditions to make any progress on any path.

 

In a world where each person is not only more distant from one another, both emotionally and mentally, we find people concurrently more distant from his/her own presence, from simply just being.

How do people who wish to live, think and be differently than this fairly new life and living model cope in a world increasingly foreign to itself and others?

How can we be more open, with mind and with our spirit, honoring that open spirit while simultaneously honoring the condition of those around us, be them strangers or even in our inner circles?

How do we intercede on others’ behalf without stumbling on those directly in our life when it is these people perpetrating some perceived wrong, be that perception accurate or misguided?

This is the struggle of maintaining open awareness and presence in modern-day society. If we lose this struggle, we may lose ourselves. If we win this struggle, we may lose everyone.

That is the fear, that the only way to win this struggle is to leave everyone and everything we know behind. Walking down a path, full of fear and anxiety, is a certain way to fulfill any fear prophecies we can create.

We must let go of the fear. We must douse the light of fear in our lives. This doesn’t mean we will encounter no seemingly insurmountable obstacles, but it will mean we meet those obstacles with open mind and open heart. As long as we fear, as long as we’re anxious about our present, our past or our future conditions, we are the creator of the most difficult conditions to make any progress on any path.

When Words, Logic Fail

When words and logic fail to provide clarity or to open the door of awareness, we find ourselves in a dark, difficult place. We may even be unable to wiggle in order to soothe aching, cramped muscles. We may not be able to see any path forward, or even backward. We may even think we are at our end. Yet, we are still here.

It is in these more difficult moments that we must let go of finding the answers with our mind alone, instead looking for guidance from our connection to the universe, to God, to Jesus, to Allah, to Buddha. The connection is consistently there, regardless of what you call it.

How do we make this connection, to gain this necessary guidance in our times of need, or at any time regardless of need?

Some call it prayer. Others call it meditation. We need only attempt to make this connection, as the connection is there whether we’re aware of it or not. If we keep attempting, we will find our bridge.

Falling in the Abyss

Usually when I write, I have some issue, concern or situation that confounds me, and I work myself through it through words, logic and some other-than guidance I could not hope to find on my own. This changes now.

I've been on a collision-course with a lack of objectives, lack of focus and lack of judgement. I have no words or logic that seem to be able to bridge this gap, to lift us out or through this abyss. I can no longer move forward in the usual monotone approach that has yet to produce much of anything of use for myself or for anyone else.

"As we fall, we learn to let go once again, trusting that the universe, that other-than guidance, will take us where we need to be and to do what we need to do." ---Bloomin' Lilacs