Accept life in each moment exactly as it is. That’s it. That will guarantee you a happy life. Simple, right? What most of us want is for life to accept our preferences and behave as we want it to. And if it doesn’t, we’re disappointed. If we really look objectively at this approach, we realize it is quite insane and can only lead to suffering.
In every moment, life is always simply what it is. This can never change. Life doesn’t care and will never care what we want it to be. So get on board. Join the winning team. Leave those preferences, shoulds and wish-it-were-differents behind. You are not a victim. You have never been a victim. Life is neither fair nor unfair. That’s just another thought that creates suffering.
Your judgments about what is good and what is bad are also just judgments. They have nothing to do with life or reality. Life is simply what it is in each moment and it cannot be other than that except in our fantasies.
When we don’t accept life as it is in each moment, we’re swimming up stream and the current of life is not only strong it always wins. So relax. Flow with it. If life were wrong or bad, or occasionally wrong or bad, or ever wrong or bad, or even not always working for your absolute and ultimate benefit, then you would not even be alive to read this right now. It was not your enormous skill, talent and brilliance that enabled you to live long enough to read these words. It was life itself, always entirely for your benefit. Your being alive in this moment is proof of this. If you stop resisting, I think you can discover a lot more proof if you simply look.
It doesn’t mean we can’t act, can’t improve our situation or the situation of others. Of course we can. But we will be far more effective if we stop resisting life and flow with it. Life is always working for the benefit of all. Joining life in this endeavor creates not only great effectiveness, but effortlessness. We call this being in the flow, flowing with life rather than struggling against it. Struggling against life, we can’t win … ever. It may be our conditioned habit to do this, to complain, to wish things were different. Has this ever worked? Has this ever made us or anyone else happy? Of course not. How could it? We’re simply fighting reality.
Recognize that life is really on your side, totally on your side. It always has been, no matter how it may seem to you. As you relax your resistance, your fear, your fighting and struggling, this will become more and more clear to you. And your life will become increasingly more effective and happy.
I find it interesting when you talked about having judgments, whether they are good or bad, and how they are not related to life in reality. It seems like learning about these things and actually applying them in our lives will also be a part of the process of achieving life enlightenment. Honestly, I also want to achieve that someday if it is possible for me to do so, because I want to be a good role model for my family and even my friends so that they will also find peace and have a better and simpler mindset.
Yes, everything is leading toward enlightenment, even our worst experiences of suffering.
What is special? Day by day we are never out of the flow of life. How much more special can this be? Memorable is not a problem. Memories come and go like leaves falling from a tree. In five thousand years, who will remember? And, more importantly, who needs to?
Not too long ago I posted about photo albums. We used to collect photos in albums before digital. We keep these family photos to remember important people and events. But, again, in five thousand years who will remember? Who will be here to remember? In this way we try to resist the flow of life as if something can be kept, something can remain permanent and unchanging. But that is not really how life works. When we don’t understand or accept this we have suffering. When we do understand and accept, we simply flow with life, like a river running downstream. Life becomes effortless. Peace, love and bliss are our constant companions.
Hey Peter,
Amazing thoughts you have been published! But I think- life is a journey; not a destination. However everybody wants to be happy but nobody wants to die. What a silly matter….! Isn’t it Peter…?
If we understand what we are, can anyone truly die?
Absolutely right you are! But we’ve to do something special, something memorable before we die. But where are we going today…? We are going to be crazy day by day. Before couple of days I’ve wrote an article on it. You can check it out here: http://www.thebeginnersyoga.com/how-to-release-anger/
Your writing is inspiring and so well written. I love that you reveal yourself as a vehicle for others to discover their True Enlightened Selves. Your stories resonate with my soul and I know others will benefit from your teaching/sharing.
We would like you to be a guest blogger on our health & wellness website. Please peruse our site and see if this feels good to you.
Blessings,
Reni & Rick at Eden’s Corner
Thank you, Reni and Rick. I will do so.
Hello Peter,
I forgot to mention our website is http://www.edenscorner.com
Rick & Reni at Edens Corner, unfortunately, takes you to an old Google Plus page we’ve been attempting to delete. This is the correct Google Plus link: https://plus.google.com/b/114208021696145253501/+EdensCornerPuyallup?pageId=114208021696145253501
Yes, I found that, Reni. Thank you.
Yes, Reni and Rick. Let me know how to go about doing this. I read your article Love Does Not Age about the healthy elderly in Okinawa and liked it very much. There is much wisdom there. Thank you.
Simple. Very effective ❤️