Why Wait?
Q: Why Wait?
A: Everything in its right place… water in the bathtub not flooding the floor, fire cooking the food not burning down the house. There is a time to wait, to sit and be still, to meditate and go in. And there are other times when we dare not wait because if we do, we miss the mark completely…or rather set ourselves up for near disaster.
I am inspired by the idea that we can simulate our ego death. Why does this matter to you? Well, if it doesn’t perhaps you could contemplate this further with me. Let’s explore. Life happens to all of us, whether we think we can control the flow of the river that carries us or not. We each will face innumerable challenges, losses, celebrations, births, tragedies, and eventually death. The true question is how will we meet these experiences, from what state of mind and from what emotional state?
Think of this as preparative medicine rather than preventative. We cannot prevent all future chaos, however, we can prepare for it and build our interior to navigate the obstacles that await us with finesse and grace. And not only will we be stronger we will also feel lighter and more spacious, allowing true creativity to emerge from within.
So why wait? Why not prepare by training to “die before you die”? Those words reflect my favorite principle taught by the prophet Muhammad, following me throughout many of my journal entries because it is the invitation that speaks to me most of all. Why would I spend my life in fear of the inevitable when I can experience it on a daily basis only to be renewed again and again…and again.
There is so much more to life, in fact, there are so many lives to this life we are already living. I don’t know about you, I don’t want to wait anymore, for anything…for a savior, for a miracle, etc. I want to take the reins and go for it now, surrender deep and amass what I am willing to let go of. Remember Patagonia’s campaign of lighter and faster? This can also be applied to our inner state. May we let go of what we no longer need and in order to do this, we have to self-observe, go in, and give it up in order to fight the actual fight and stop fighting ourselves.
