Dear friends,
This week on Facebook, someone asked what one thing have we learned during this time of sheltering in place. Almost everyone said “patience.” That is understandable since we all want this thing to be over and yet we can do very little to make it happen. We must be patient. However, it made me think about how, if we are truly present in the moment, we do not need patience. In that experience, we are not wanting anything to change; we are simply being in the here and now. “Now” there is ample opportunity to practice the ancient spiritual art of Being without much Doing.
I joked to a friend on the phone that this is almost like being under house arrest, except I can go out for groceries or even a long drive if I am alone. It occurs to me that this time could serve me well in the future if I do not rail against it but use it as a kind of chosen isolation. A monk chooses to enter the cave, knowing he will face himself but also deepen his understanding of his true nature. Devoid of interaction with other people, we come face to face with our habituated thoughts, perhaps our demons.
One thing I have discovered recently is how much my mind wandered into the past where I revisited family betrayals and once again felt the sting. I was even dreaming about those times. Suddenly, after a contentious conversation with someone I deeply care about, I had a realization. It sounds so simple and of course, deep realizations often are. I realized I could let it all go and not speak of it or think about it again. That was a few days ago and it has actually worked. I feel as if I have more mental space, more peace, more time. The dreams have stopped. It was rather stunning how easy it was to do. This was not suppression. It was truly a conscious release of a cluster of ideas and images that have no place in my right now experience.
What gift is yours to discover?
Stay tuned in,
Carol Carnes www.carolcarnes-com
