Imagine for a moment that you live on another planet operating under different principles. Suppose your planet has no gravity and no need for a medium of exchange such as money. You get your energy from fuel and osmosis, instead of eating and drinking. Suddenly, without warning, you find yourself transported to Earth.
When you wake from your trip, you step out of your hovering spacecraft and fall abruptly to the ground. ”Ouch!” you say, not knowing why you fell. After regaining your composure, you decide to travel around a bit, but are unable to fly because of the new phenomenal called gravity. So you start walking.
After a while, you notice that, strangely, you feel hungry and thirsty. You wonder why. Where you come from, the Galactic system rejuvenates your body automatically. Luckily, you ran across an Earthling who diagnoses your problem and tells you that you need food. Better yet, he recommends a place where you can eat, called Jack’s Diner.
You follow his directions, go into the restaurant, and manage to order some of this Earth food that contains all the nutrients you need. You immediately feel better. But then, the man who gave you the food wants ”seven dollars” for what he gave you. You have no idea what he’s talking about. After quite an argument, some men in uniforms come and take you away and put you in a small room with bars. What in the world is going on, you wonder.
You didn’t mean anyone harm, yet you are in ”jail,” whatever that is. You can no longer move about as you want, and you resent it. You only tried to be about your business and now you have sore leg, fatigue from walking and a stomachache from eating too much. Nice Place, this Earth.
~Excerpt from the book ”BOUNDARIES When to Say YES, When to Say No to Take Control of Your Life” By Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend
People who grew up in dysfunctional homes have experiences similar to that of the alien. We get transported to adult life where ”unseen” principles that have never been explained to us govern our relationships and our well being.
We hurt, get hungry, and may end up in jail, but never know the principles that could have helped us operate in accordance with reality, instead of against it.
Spiritual realities are as real as gravity and whether we know them or not, they still operate. By understanding these principles, we give ourselves the opportunity to work with reality, rather than against it. Lets face it, working against reality is a loosing game. You don’t stand a chance.
In this article, we get to remind yourself of these fundamental principles and get back in flow.
- Impermanence
Recognize the impermanent nature of all things. Nothing lasts forever, and understanding this allows us to release our attachments on people, situations and emotions. Change is inevitable. When we understand this, it helps alleviate the fear of loss and uncertainty. Make peace with knowing that nothing lasts forever and new opportunities will arise.
2. Self-Awareness
Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
~Carl Jung
Change is inevitable. And before change occurs, it requires us to make different choices so as to get different outcomes. It is impossible to make changes when we are not aware of the changes to be made. in the context of alleviating suffering, cultivating awareness enables us to understand our attachments and the underlying emotions driving them. From this understanding and the desire for a different experience, we can be able make different choices. Nothing changes unless we change, and change requires awareness.
3. Interconnectedness
Everything is connected. We are part of a vast and interconnected web of life. Recognizing that everything in the universe is interconnected helps us understand that we are not isolated entities but rather, integral parts of a larger whole. We are never alone. The belief in separation is an illusion.
Viewing our experiences through the lens of interconnectedness shifts our perspective on letting go. Instead of seeing it as a loss or separation, we begin to perceive it as a natural part of the interconnected web of life. Understanding that letting go of one thing can create space for new opportunities and growth can make the process less daunting.
Remember, you are not alone. Everything is happening for you, not to you. You probably lost that job to give you an opportunity to start that business you have been dreaming of. That special person is unable to reciprocate your love so that you are able to learn how to love yourself. In other cases, it could be divine protection from a circumstance or an event.
See everything that happens in your life as an opportunity to learn and grow. Life is always teaching us something, are we listening? Usually it doesn’t make sense in the moment but when we look back, we begin to understand why things happened the way they did.
”You can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backward. so trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”
~Steve Jobs.
4. Acceptance
The first step towards change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.
Nathaniel Branden
When we resist reality of a situation or cling to what was, we create unnecessary suffering for ourselves. Acceptance allows us to release resistance and surrender to what is. Acceptance enables us to acknowledge the reality of a situation including any losses or changes that may be occurring. It is from a place of acceptance that we find the opportunity to make the necessary changes. Also, acceptance in itself alleviate emotional turmoil and bring a sense of peace and serenity.
5. Living In The Present Moment
Life unfolds in the present moment. Shifting our focus from dwelling on the past or worrying about the future to fully experiencing the present moment can reduce attachments to regrets or anxieties. it interrupts the cycle of rumination by anchoring us into the present moment , allowing us to break free from negative thought patterns.
Letting go often involves often involves experiencing a range of emotions, including sadness, grief, or fear. Presence allows us to fully experience these emotions without judgement or resistance, allowing them to flow through us and eventually dissipate on their own.
6. Surrender
Surrendering to the flow of life and trusting in the unfolding of events can ease the process of letting go. Surrendering doesn’t mean giving up; rather it involves letting of the need to control outcomes and allowing things to unfold naturally.
By understanding and embodying these principles of reality or life, we can ease the process of letting go and move forward with great peace, resilience and grace.
What other principles did I leave out? Share your thoughts in the comments! And if you found this article valuable, please share with friends and family. Thanks in advance!
