Thoughts On Life
MARCH 2010 - Rishikesh, India
Three weeks with yourself can drive you nuts.. Thoughts from all periods of your existence keep popping up. How this happened.. Why it happened and could this have been prevented? I miss this person, can’t stand that one and where the heck is such and such? How sweet is this memory.. and that memory.. I wish I can relive it over and again! Oh the pain I felt when that happened.. No wonder this person gives me the creeps, he must be a reincarnation of the awful “neighborhood fool”.. Where did that come from? I never thought I’ll remember it so vividly.
You get the idea.. That time spent in my own company was healing too.. It brought out many unresolved issues and many people that I needed to come face to face with. A whole lifetime observed silently can be the best thing for your soul and for your being.
Life happens all the time and we rarely pause long enough to contemplate or savor the moment.. We’re always rushing to do more, say one more thing that’s on our mind, buy something we’ve always wanted, add to our possessions, feel more productive, more successful more powerful more popular.. While we’re racing and chasing after things, life.. Real life.. happens. Kids grow, parents age, friends fall in love or out of love, nature blooms, sheds, then blooms again..
All the while our beautiful, generous, consistent breath sustains us. One breath in and one out.. As simple as that.. Life happens.
It’s only when you look in the mirror one day and you see a total stranger that you realize what had really happened.. You realize the speed at which life goes on or the speed at which you made it go on..
Today, make a conscious decision with me to slow down by spending more time on the things that matter.. Kiss longer, hug longer, listen longer.. Pay attention to the small details like a child looking at you seeking help, love or attention. Help an elderly feel better about themselves. Share a story with them, make them laugh..
Make a difference in people’s lives. Be a positive force.. Instead of always wanting society to treat you compassionately, try starting the process yourself and see what happens. Get angry less and forgive more.. Get anxious less and trust more.. Tap into your goodness more often and let it shine on the world around you. Take the time to show people how kind you are instead of how many degrees you’ve accumulated, what your title is and how much money you earn..
During the past three weeks, I lost two people very dear to me. When I heard the news of his passing, I realized I hadn’t seen my cousin in more than twenty years! As for my friend I only saw him a few years back over a meal in a foreign country. How sad is THAT?!
From the quality time I spent with myself came a promise to spend more time with friends and loved ones and a pledge to tell people how much they mean to me at every opportunity I get.
Don’t wait for a eulogy to express your feelings, say how you feel when people are alive and around you. Make a difference and encourage others to make a difference. Inspire people by leading the way in kindness and love for humanity. The reward will be returned to you tenfold.
Dare to reach into your deepest self, connect with your higher self, do as it says, defy your ego that wants to brag and show off, be modest, be kind, just BE and the rest will fall in the right place.
That’s what I want to do.. That’s what I will do..
My higher self knows exactly what it wants to do. I will employ my ego to serve it and help it reach its destination.
