Can we do something about it and if we can, then what and how?
When we fall to our knees, when we have gone through all the scenarios and thoughts over and over again…when we do not find an exit, when we bend in half and howl to the moon, the stars and the Gods of the universe.
When the story is such that we can touch and smell our powerlessness, we do not know what to do differently or what to think because we don’t know how to, and what we want is to pulverize into millions of unidentified cells, atoms and sparks.
BUT INSTEAD, WE FALL ON OUR KNEES, AND WE CRY IN FRONT OF THE DOOR OF FREEDOM, IMPLORING FOR SOMEONE, A FRIEND, A GOD, A STRANGER, TO OPEN IT AND TAKE US INTO THEIR ARMS AND HEAL US, TRANSFORM US INTO FULFILLED, CONTENTED, HAPPY AGAIN, HUMAN BEINGS.
When we fall to our knees, when we have gone through all the scenarios and thoughts over and over again…when we do not find an exit, when we bend in half and howl to the moon, the stars and the Gods of the universe. When the story is such that we can touch and smell our powerlessness, we do not know what to do differently or what to think because we don’t know how to, and what we want is to pulverize into millions of unidentified cells, atoms and sparks. But instead, we fall on our knees, and we cry in front of the door of freedom, imploring for someone, a friend, a god, a stranger, to open it and take us into their arms and heal us, transform us into fulfilled, contented, happy again, human beings.
In our despair, we forgot that the door is always open. We are always invited… but it is a life initiation. The root of our pains is never the others. It is us, always! So we are not praying for some free-floating divinity to save us. It would be a demonstration that we have no power and no responsibilities. Yet it is inevitable. It is what Life wants. Easy to say! It is hard. It goes against everything we have learned: to fight, to resist, to be correct, to back ourselves so that our way of thinking and being wins! We don’t want to “die” from who we are! After all, we don’t know what lies beyond. An ocean of possibilities is nothing but reassuring.
What if?! What if I am in more pain than I am now? I don’t know who I will become.
I remember my daughter who was suffering from asthma, and I asked her: “why don’t you try and do something so you don’t have asthma anymore?” And she said: “I am scared because I don’t know how to live without it! At least I know what I am dealing with. I am used to it, and I know what to do”. She was in her 20s.
Our entire being wants to resist. But what if we were wrong? What if outdated beliefs, perceptions, and judgments shaped the pain: resistance, the fight, and righteousness? We might be aware of it, but we are wired to act from our conditioned selves. After all, we know what we are dealing with. We have been through highs and lows to become who we are today, and we find reassurance from it. We are in known territory. Yet, despite turmoils and challenges, we prefer to be “comfortably numb”. That is what’s in the way of your freedom, of your power as an ever-growing, expanding being.
Instead, we need to look at ourselves… We’ve all heard that before. It is what it is! We are who we are, but we are not set in concrete. You can choose to transform. Transformation is that little death from who we are to who we are becoming. It starts with being No-Thing for a moment: Not the guilty one, Not the insignificant one, Not the unloved one, Not the victim, Not the stupid one. Pause, Be undefined, not Who you are but What you are: Life itself. Distance yourself from the conditioning. Be the noble, dynamic, creative, powerful human being that you are underneath the veil of your beliefs. Like all creatures on earth, we experience challenges that demand us to grow, think differently, and be different. Because if we don’t, we are consciously or unconsciously refusing to evolve. And that, my friend, is the big no-no in Life! Life’s universal principle is to expand, to transform, to be more, better, stronger, and to create new selves. Without this, we are stagnant. Stagnancy is Life’s waiting game! Will you rot, stink and decompose? That is fine. Others will learn from it. Life always wins.
When the pain is so great that we are out of options, there is nothing to do. Just melt into that pain, open the door and be an ocean of quietness, of stillness, even if it is for a moment, one second, one time-space. And repeat as often as you want.
Do not focus on the pain. Pain is but a signal. It is not a monster to fight against. It is not a dragon terracing you into submission. It is the finger that points to the resistance to accepting What Is. It is a resistance made of outdated beliefs, obsolete perceptions, and obsolete judgments. It is our conditioned answers, given by others, for you to believe or given by yourself so you can feel “comfortably numb”. It is in the way of your freedom and power as an ever-growing, expanding being.
Ask: “Show me another way to look at this!” what is the highest thought I can have about this situation? What is the most incredible wisdom I can demonstrate? And wisdom always lies in one question, “What does Life want?” Then you can be ok with the pain. To look at pain for what it is, the tool that Life has used for millions of years for us to learn and evolve. Then, become curious about your higher human condition. We are unique. We are the latest creation of Life with a mind that can reflect not only on our environment but also be aware of who and what we are.
We are not here to suffer and be punished by a free-floating spirit or god. We are here to evolve and thrive. Pain is part of The journey. Suffering is when we focus on the pain.
We have a choice. To be woven into the beliefs and stories told by others and ourselves or be the weaver of our own lives.
Every time you fall into the grip of judgment or other people’s cultural or religious beliefs that you have made yours, but clash with who you want to be, you must go back to that stillness and transform a bit more, choose differently… no escape. You can choose to emancipate or let the story decide for you!