Not resisting what is

I had an amazing couple of days! I have been so happy to be feeling so much better after my bout with the flu and the less than joyous feelings I allowed during that time. I am getting out again, hanging out with my friends, had a great day with my daughter, and began looking forward to what more I can create for myself for the rest of the month. And with the new and better feelings coming from the last couple of days, I even got some exciting news… including a strong possibility for an opportunity in an area of work I would simply love to add to my life.

Much of this great experience came, I believe, as result of the work I’ve been doing to become inspired again about living a joyful life. My illness and unhappiness over the last few weeks was unusually long for me at this point in my life, but by the time I went to sleep last night I was definitely feeling a huge relief from the darkness I had been in.

One of the things I did to help myself back into this better state was to watch the new classes that Oprah is doing with Eckhart Tolle based on his new book called, A New Earth. I am not reading the book, but I’ve decided over the last couple of days to watch the classes (so far the first two are available on Oprah.com) just to get an idea of what they are discussing. They’ve been quite insightful, and as a non note-taker (I usually just watch or listen), I surprised myself by jotting down a sentence here and there. Some things just resonated with me so much, I found myself wanting to make sure I kept note of it.

So with a handful of new sentences to think about, I had planned on writing tonight about one that seemed most applicable to my life at the moment. However, that particular topic suddenly took a back seat when something quite emotionally disturbing came up for me tonight. But as I took some time to absorb what happened, I began to realize something quite important for myself, having just noted these other sentences last night (in regards to not wanting what is)...

“Do not resist what is. Accept it …then take action to change it.” –Eckhart Tolle

For many, when we find out something is not how we want it to be, our first reaction is to resist it. I sometimes do this as well. I get upset, carry on about how I don’t like it, and then think and think and think about what I don’t want. It’s just so easy to go down that road.

Eckhart Tolle suggested we don’t do this. In fact, as someone who teaches this stuff, I suggest very similar ideas to my clients as well. I believe in the Universal Law of Attraction and that means if I add energy to that which I don’t want, I attract more of what I don’t want. So I do know this.

But tonight, in the moment I became aware of something I didn’t like, I went right for the thoughts of that which I didn’t want. I instantly became stressed about it, and must admit, also spent a bit of time upset that my happiness over the last couple of days seemed to be wiped out in just a moment. Then, I remembered…

I took some time tonight. I became quiet. I turned off my computer. I turned off my tv. I just sat with myself and accepted what is. I decided that whatever happened, all is still well. I decided that tomorrow I will take action, but tonight I will simply stay calm.

So without resisting what is, followed by an acceptance, ideas for solutions started to come to me. And then… my peace came back.

It’s been a few hours since this happened, but I am again in the space of remembering that no matter what happens from here, all is still well.

--Although I could be writing about a number of things that sometimes occur in my life, this post was again about my Uncle Alvin (posted 2/5/08). His health situation gave me yet another scare, but in this moment he is ok. And as I always say, now is all that matters.