Several years ago I had a scare. I was hiking on the remote Cumberland Island and I didn’t feel quite right. What could I do but trek on. When I returned home I called my cardiologist, see I have a history of cardiac issues stemming from a congenital defect. But I never let me, slow me down. So, two weeks after my hiking trip I had a routine cardiac check up. All looks good they said. And then the next day the cardiologist said something very different. A week later I was relieved from my worry and stress by the stark realization that life is what it is. Life is unpredictable and surprising and that is what makes it so awesome. At that moment I was laying there, about to go into open heart surgery. I was helpless, hooked up to machines and dripping bags, and “things that go ping”. And at that precarious position in my life I realized what worry and fear really are. They are doubt, they are uncontrolled reactions, and they are surprises and expressed unknowns that all feed worry and anxiety. But like most wonderful and frightening things in life they come unbidden and suddenly. Life is a chain of these ups and downs that make each day awesome, and for good or bad or better or worse we are tied to it. My Christian friends say I have faith and should praise Jesus for all my good fortunes. My Buddhist nature fully agrees but I prefer to spread compassion, giving or helping with little random acts of kindness and compassion as my personal responsibility. I know that worry and fear are very natural, passion and love, compassion and empathy are also natural. I see remorse for what was lost one moment is balanced in the next with happiness many times every day. But most of us take those happiness’s for granted and seek only to beg forgiveness for our sins in hopes that the awesome gift that is our daily lives will be somehow made richer, more shining and bright, better. I have gown into a different understanding. Life is movement and change. This is what I have faith in. I know that if I merely look and listen to the lives of others I will see the ebbs and flows of the tide of being alive. The same life of being that provides each of us the opportunity for understanding to evade poverty and addiction, to help others and dig within ourselves for strength. We are beings that auto-magically have the intellect and ability to be compassionate and control emotion, but not the will to make a habit of it. I know that I have the power to see the good in every moment or at least my lack of control of it. I believe that if everyone was to take life as it comes, living in the moment, that fear and worry would be reduced to passing thoughts. These two emotions would loose the power to erode our lives and perhaps prosperity of spirit and physical health would be improved.
Look around you at the people you presume are better off. Why do most of us see only the shell as a sign of health and fortune? I know a man paralyzed since his teens who’s biggest regret is that he can’t reassure strangers that he is fine. He can’t change their piteous glances into understanding because they automatically associate their form and function to his lack. I assure you he lacks very little. I know of people who exalt and praise the physically handicapped for dealing with daily life. They say “Look at them, how hard life must be?” “If they can do it, I can too!.” But People with cancer, lung or heart problems or psychological or neurological differences are more prevalent that those with an outward deformity. Why then do we not show similar pity and comparison for them? Because we don’t presume to know of their life as they don’t know of ours. So why then don’t we allow ourselves a moment of pity for ourselves? Why don’t we use our own accomplishments as reminders of how strong we are? I believe we should. We should each see the good and the bad as one thing – LIFE. This view makes fear and worry become just more feelings akin to nervousness, anticipation, and excitement which we all know come on too fast and leave us none the worse for wear. If we are able to allow these two hungry demons to pass unfed then the nourishment for Anxiety and Depression are in short supply.
If you don’t want a monkey on your back, quit feeding it.
Look around you at the people you presume are better off. Why do most of us see only the shell as a sign of health and fortune? I know a man paralyzed since his teens who’s biggest regret is that he can’t reassure strangers that he is fine. He can’t change their piteous glances into understanding because they automatically associate their form and function to his lack. I assure you he lacks very little. I know of people who exalt and praise the physically handicapped for dealing with daily life. They say “Look at them, how hard life must be?” “If they can do it, I can too!.” But People with cancer, lung or heart problems or psychological or neurological differences are more prevalent that those with an outward deformity. Why then do we not show similar pity and comparison for them? Because we don’t presume to know of their life as they don’t know of ours. So why then don’t we allow ourselves a moment of pity for ourselves? Why don’t we use our own accomplishments as reminders of how strong we are? I believe we should. We should each see the good and the bad as one thing – LIFE. This view makes fear and worry become just more feelings akin to nervousness, anticipation, and excitement which we all know come on too fast and leave us none the worse for wear. If we are able to allow these two hungry demons to pass unfed then the nourishment for Anxiety and Depression are in short supply.
If you don’t want a monkey on your back, quit feeding it.
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