On Love and Letting Go

“Striving to increase awareness of our spiritual natures as well as the news, technologies and agendas which influence them.”

Well it’s obvious there is quite enough material to keep us busy on the “news, technologies and agendas” part of that mission statement.  It’s the “increasing awareness of our spiritual natures” part that can be challenging, though it really is far more important.  We often cannot control our circumstances; only how we react to them.

I’m not going to preach, because truthfully every person has their own Walk, and goes at different rates.  Not everyone is ready to live completely in faith – though I can tell you for my own part, right now my own circumstances would have me feel like I am walking across the Abyss supported only by a warm breath of air.  It might seem like I’m in danger, but for some reason I never fall in.  By now I recognize the feeling, and the chasm itself, for what it is, and the Walk has gotten easier.  Not easy – just easier.

I’ve had eight years to work on this transformation within myself.  Seeing the world with new eyes, carefully witnessing the magic as well as the malicious; living in the Tao - living with this awareness of ‘God’ as an active participant in my life – it’s been a tremendous adjustment.   Some days I’m more tuned in than others; sometimes outer circumstances affect me, other times I easily find that center of stillness amidst the chaos.  It has taken a lot of focused, concentrated effort to get where I am, and I admit I still have a long way to go on my own spiritual Walk.  On the other hand if you knew me back in the ‘90s I imagine you’d be surprised at the person I’ve become. ;)

I lost a lot of friends at first.  Actually, nearly all of them disappeared.  I had become changed almost overnight, and it was hard on many of them, especially those so deeply committed to old habits.  It was hard on me too.  A few miraculous friendships did survive however, and I now treasure them deeply; not only that, I’ve made new friends, and even reconnected with a very old one.  (Ok, she’d kill me for that - she’s not old, far from it; but the friendship goes way back).  If you’d ask me what I’ve learned looking back so far, it’s that Someone knows what I need better than I do; I just learn to let go, focus on love, and pay attention to the helicopters.  Even though the first few steps can seem dark, pretty soon other possibilities and circumstances arise and I’m around the bend, onto something so much greater than I could have imagined.  The people that are in my life now are positive forces – especially my family.  I was raised in a supportive environment and then married into another one, so I’ve really been blessed in that regard.

I wish I could say in one simple sentence how to rise above it all – ok, I can: “Live in love.”  But easier said than done, right?  There are methods of attaining one’s internal connection with and awareness of the Higher Power, and many great and wise sages have attempted to teach us about this throughout the ages.  The greatest truths are the most simple, however; truly, how much better of a world would it be if we all really did live in love?  Amazing, no doubt - but meanwhile, we must often tread through the muck of other people’s egos, fear, greed, anger and hate, so…the least we can do is work on cleaning up our own muck.

As I’ve said before, surfing is a challenging sport, but once learned, the ecstasy is indescribable.  It is an individual sport, and each participant must learn how to balance and avoid the reefs on their own.  Just don’t forget there is a powerful swell of compassionate, loving energy all around us who wants to keep us upright and moving forward.  Connect with that Source and find support in troubled times:  seek first love, peace and harmony and the rest will come. 

“Open yourself to the Tao, then trust your natural responses; and everything will fall into place.” Tao Te Ching #23