At a time when the world is in turmoil with the COVID pandemic, and war drums are beating around China and Taiwan, Russia and Ukraine. Financial and freedom restrictions are bearing down on people. Divisions between race, religion and sexual identity, all amplified by social media, impact on family, friends and communities the world over. It’s easy to see why the joy of life has all but evaporated.
In times like this our mojo, inner spirit, inspiration, conscious contact with the spirit of the universe, the experience of God (or whatever you would like to call it) seems to disappear. We can feel alone, small and disconnected. Our life can seem meaningless and we lose our sense of hope and wellbeing. The darkness and stress of the human-made world seem to be all-encompassing and dominant. We become AFRAID.
DON’T WORRY – EVERYTHING IS OK
We can’t control the world, its Governments or other people; we cannot control the sun or the weather. Now is the time to go within and find that space inside that’s perfectly at peace amidst calamity. In times like these, I’m reminded of a story in the Bible, and although I am not religious myself, I can see its wisdom.
A Wise Story
The story goes that Jesus and his disciples all went out to sea on a large fishing boat. Jesus was a bit tired so he went to sleep on the boat. A short while later he was rudely awakened by the screams and pleas of his disciples who were in a right state as there was a bad storm and everything looked bad.
“Bloody hell Jesus look at this storm; we are going to DIE” one of his disciples screamed at him ( I ad-lib here a little).
“It’s all gone wrong; we are being overwhelmed by the stormy sea” another disciple shouted as he hung on to the central mast.
Jesus wiped the sleep from his eyes and looked at the storm and then looked at his disciples consumed, NOT by the storm, but by FEAR. Jesus got to his feet and admonished them all for their stupidity. Then he turned into the storm and told it to be quiet. At once the storm died down.
This biblical story shows me that if the disciples in the boat had a strong connection with the peace, spirit, God (or whatever you call it) inside themselves, the storm would not have overcome them. Instead, they allowed the storm to be their primary focus and as such, the fear set in, which defeated them.
So what is the storm in my life?
The world’s current affairs, COVID, financial worries, relationship issues and more are the storms in my daily life. If I solely focus on these things, the outward circumstances, I become miserable. I see only the hopelessness and despair of living, everything looks grey and life becomes a grind. As I personally have no power or control over these outside issues, I need to find a way to bypass them. I need to go inside and dig deep to stay connected to my own sense of joy and okayness. Like Jesus did in the boat. If I don’t, I will end up like the disciples, full of fear and dread and the journey will become a nightmare.
Living like a slave…
Even though I live in and work in the material world I have learned over my lifetime that placing all my eggs in the material world leads me to disappointment time and time again. Investing my happiness and wellbeing in the material world, especially with the current state of affairs, will keep me yoyoing up and down with every turn and twist of life. I will never find a place of rest and satisfaction. My internal state of well-being will be DEPENDANT on others, on Governments, on nature, on loved ones and friends, on money and so on. I would be an emotional, mental and spiritual slave desperate for the world and its people to think and act in my best interests. You don’t have to be religious or have much IQ to see that way of living would be a disaster.
Set Yourself Free & Determine Your Own Happiness
Every individual must find some way to access a sense of well-being, peace and happiness that transcends the material. I think that all the religions and spiritual organisations throughout history have in some way stated this truth. Unfortunately, this message has been lost under the religious practices, processes and requirements. Most people don’t want to conform to any set beliefs and practices. And nor do I. You don’t have to be a Catholic to take pleasure in the rays of the sun. You don’t have to be a Muslim to feel the awe of nature. Life and all its wonder is free to all – no matter sex, religion or race. When it rains, we all get wet.
You don’t have to be religious, have any training or even be a good person to access a higher power, a God of your understanding, the spirit of the universe (or whatever you want to call it). You just simply need to seek a relationship. How do you do this? Here are some ways you can start today, do one of them, some of them or all of them, whatever rocks your boat.
- Go for a walk in nature and open yourself up to it for 15-20 mins. And repeat
- Put 15 mins on a timer and sit simply relaxing and listening to the sounds around you
- Spend some time listening to your favourite music and allow yourself to feel good
- Go to a church, synagogue, mosque or Buddhist centre
- Read a spiritual book
- Simply ask the universe to reveal itself to you and spend a few minutes being attentive
- Light a candle and watch the flame flicker. Even better use a scented one
- Write a daily letter to the spirit of the universe
- Listen to a guided mediation on you tube
It does not matter what way to choose to try and connect with something. What matters is that YOU TRY. The results come from sincere effort to seek and NOT the skill, experience or knowledge.
Your job is to seek NOT find. You seek, and the universe will find you.
In seeking something more profound than the material world, in seeking a connection with something other, you will find a new sense of life growing within you that is separate from the material. A new sense of joy and wellbeing, a new sense of peace and security and freedom from the world’s woes will all come to those that seek. If these things don’t happen to you, quit what you’re doing and do something else.
