Triggers.

Begin to see how feelings of sadness make you write a sad story in your head.

Begin to see how feelings of irritation and anger make you write stories and lash out, seeking someone or something to blame.

Begin to see how self-pity rolls on into a negative spiral of thoughts and feelings.

And see how all of the stuff you label as ‘negative’, that rises up in waves, has the potential to get stuck in a loop, as you fuel it with thought.

And, of course, how those feelings and stories can cause you to shift to obsessive mental processes as you seek to unpick the material – attaching false importance to it.

So, once more, breathe. And if you can interrupt this process by mindful observation, without jumping to past or future, you can remain very present – and THIS allows the knots in your being to untie. Burning off into the ether.

These waves have got to come. You’re ready for them now.

Just this time, let them flow, surf them, they are in a constant state of flux.
Impermanent.
And ultimately they are exceptionally healing.

equanimity.

The best measure of your ‘success’ is your level of equanimity.

Don’t try to hold a position – or try to be happy – or try to maintain a feeling of peace.

It’s just not possible.

What you can ‘try’ to do is observe every changing phenomena  with the same loving detached interest. No craving. No aversion. No clinging. No push. No pull.

Every little thing that passes through – give it a nod and a wave – a smile and a wink – a bow and a courtesy – just acknowledge it.  It’s a passenger.  It’s a spacecraft.  It’s a shooting star of stuff invisible.

Feels so tangible at times.

It ain’t.

The ONLY way you know right now how to be happy be peaceful be with yourself, is to observe the flow of things… passing you by on that conveyor belt…

And when all that trying to hold a certain feeling or position is dropped – when you don’t mind what happens – then funnily enough, that is when you feel peace anyway.

A deep peace.  That transcends all the stuff and matter and sensations and thoughts and blah blah blah… a new peace.

 

don’t judge.

don’t judge others.  or write stories about them.  or put yourself in a superior position in your head.  they’re just another version of you.  or maybe showing you some unmet part of you that wants to say hi.

don’t expect or ask them to be different.  don’t put them in a position of ‘not being good enough’ or needing them to be anything other than what they are in this moment.

whole. perfect. neutral.

you are not the judge and jury.  you are not here to change anyone.  do not look upon another and list the ‘faults’ that you see.  you are not seeing faults.  you are seeing your own knots.  your unhealed reactions.  your darkness exposed by the light of them as a mirror.

see yourself.  see your pain.  see your anxiety.  see your need to be greater than they, to guard you from your own false-feared-annihilation.

and see yourself as one.       with them.
and all beings.      and all things.

one.

likewise – don’t then judge yourself.
be kind. be soft.
be slow to react to your own stuff as it rises up.    > hotfacedvolcano <

breathe.
my love.
breathe.

 

accept it.

accept it all.

exactly as it is.

that feeling. that surge. that germ of a thought. those physical sensations. that ache. that pain. that tingle. accept it.

what he said. what she says. however it makes you feel.

do the world a big fat favour and do not ask of it to change. in any way. at all.

and don’s ask them to change. not one jot. just accept whatever is passing through your space right now. from wherever whatever whenever source.

it all has something to teach you. but don’t worry about what that might be.

it’s not for your to create thoughts and mental constructs and ‘work it all out’

nope.

don’t try to ‘put it all in its place – tidy it all away – compare and balance and have your opinion – slot it into your world view – or hold your position’ nope nope nope… making sense of it is futile and not to your benefit – or to the benefit of those around you.

it is just what it is.
this is it.
nothing more.
nothing less.

balancing all those thoughts and ideas and feelings and sensations and trying to keep all the things in a holding pattern that is comfortable to you right now is just going to fail.

because it’s all in a state of constant flux.

you can’t hold the world still, in your hands.  it’s alive.

nature. perfect.

so, let’s just keep it all very basic. simple. physical. body and breath.

and away from that mind of yours that is just going to write stories. and keep you away from the truth and lessons of existence in this very second.

does that thing annoy you? really get under your skin? ok. let it be. and observe the sensations on your body instead.

can’t handle that? too gritty and hot uncomfy? then focus your attention on the breath.

still feel terrible? that’s ok. accept that too.

this sound. that thought. those words. all the feelings. the smells sights sensations… accept them all.

breathe.

it’s another beautiful day on planet earth.