Ripples #871: Wholehearted Presence!
Feb 1, 2016
PEBBLE
The best chance to be whole is to love whatever gets in the way, until it ceases to be an obstacle.
-Mark Nepo, shared by Pat in Cincinnati, OH
BOULDER
This is the true meaning of embodiment: To show up with wholehearted presence for this moving encounter with life. Instead of clambering towards ever-furthering horizons or withdrawing into distractions and addictions, showing up for those absences in our lives. Welcoming our fears and discomforts as necessary conditions to creativity. Loving the gestation as much as the harvest, even while remembering the barren season that must follow. Aspiring, in all things, to be human.
-Toko-Pa Turner, shared by Leslie in Madison, WI
PONDER
Life is easier when life is good. It is easy to show up for the good days, to love all the great things about our life. It’s a bit tougher to show up for the blechy days and to love all the challenging things about our life as much as we love the delightful things. It’s tougher, but it’s important to do for several reasons:
1. Avoiding problems or resisting challenges often extends their lifespan, and can even allow a smaller concern to fester and eventually require even more resources to address. A little time and energy and love early on will allow you to spend more minutes on the good stuff.
2. Reserving joy for just the good times reduces the amount of joy you get to experience. If you view your life as five work days of GRRRRR and two weekend days of AHHHHHH, well that just seems like a quarter life and not a full life <pauses to punch 2/7 into calculator… 28.5714%> I know life is better without a headache, but it is possible to experience joy even when you have a migraine.
3. We happen to learn lots more from failure than success, and we can improve so much more efficiently if we recognize the potential for growth spurts during and immediately after difficulty. The fitness folks always remind me that while the weights shouldn’t be too heavy or you risk injury, it’s essential that they not be too light or you won’t strengthen your muscles at all.
If you’ve got some tough stuff that seems to be getting in the way of your otherwise joyful journey, I invite you to take a break from trying to ignore it, move it or defeat it and see if, just for a little bit, you can try to see it, receive it, and love it.
Peace,
Paul
The Ripples Guy
P.S. For the record, it is possible to love something without liking it. For reals.
