Trusting Destiny In the Midst of Uncertainty 08/08/2011
Sometimes life can be more than a little uncertain when we have some rather challenging and intense choices to make. It seems each one affords both positive and negative potentials and even when you write it all down on paper, weighing the pros and cons, your intuition can still veto all analysis with one quick swipe of heartspeak. Indeed, on that note, intuition itself can be a whole challenge: how to tap into it clearly so that one can really trust the authenticity of its voice? Is it to be revered as it is in some circles as the voice of truth, deeper than any intellectual endeavour? And what is intuition in fact? Well that would be (and will be!) another post entirely though I will touch upon it here to some degree. But really, the essence of what I wish to discuss is how do we find some kind of clarity in the midst of uncertainty, especially when we're besieged by ambiguity. I have come to the discovery that some times you really can't know, that is, it's hard to predict exactly what future a particular choice will end up manifesting. Sure we can get a feeling and even think about it to the point of seeming clarity but then all in one foul swoop of emotions all conjecture can fall like a house of cards. I am facing just such an immense uncertainty in my own personal life and though I have chosen to make a decision based on both mind (thought) and heart (intuition) that seems clear, I still feel plagued by confusion. However, I recognize here the necessity and virtue of surrender. The fact is we can`t know exactly where a choice will take us and by contantly and even obsessively ruminating over it we actually deprieve ourselves of one of our greatest strengths in reality: the ability to be present to the powerfully symbolic realm of the present moment. You see, I have found from my own experience, when we live in the moment, constantly wresting our awareness from fantasias of past and future, we can find an incredibly interactive world of experiences that are constantly speaking to us in the sometimes abstract and sometimes quite clarion symbolism of destiny. This can be incredibly engaging and extremely useful and is a magical side of life lost on many in a culture that has raised the analytical intellect into a wrongful station of supremacy. As many ancient traditions tell us, such as Taoism, when we live spontaneously, vigilant to what is happening here and now, we engage the dynamic currents of destiny. For reality is not some static event but a complex web of forces that are quite conscious and intelligent. The experience of coincidences/synchronicities is just the tip of the iceberg! In this way, we also co-create life, and being creative is one of the essences of being human. By engaging life in such a way, we find suddenly a wealth of experiences calling to us, that are also profoundly useful for our learning. In all of this comes a trust in the goodness of life and human nature, something the Taoists constantly asserted. How often do we distrust life, though, and the intuition of our nature? Quite often indeed. One look at the stories that have programmed our culture for milennia gives us insight into the origins of the distrust. Consider for example the doctrine of the Fallen World in Christianity and Judaism that posits that Earth is somehow a negative realm where we are burdened with original sin. But what if Earth was actually a beautiful world rife with consciousness and wisdom to nourish and help us grow and our nature actually divine? There’s much more that comes with making decisions that I could delve into, such as the tremendous usefulness of meditation, contemplation, reflection in nature and also having the conviction to make decisions that may make us temporarily uncomfortable but I’ll leave that for another post. For now, I’d like us all to consider making a decision and then letting go of it and trusting that reality, rich with the language of destiny, will interact with us and help us always find our way, even if that means letting us know somehow the decision was wrong! For in that sense, what is a right or wrong decision, so long as one lives mindfully aware to the present and all its dynamism of destiny? The key is to maintain presence, which takes positivity and uprightness for often decisions can make us depressed which weakens our energy, leaving us more vulnerable to being blown away in winds of circular thinking and unbridled emotions. Keep moving, keep flowing--this is essential. And when we do stop to be still, make certain we do so in an act of meditation and conteplation so that thought is dipped deeper in the seas of wisdom (which in Chinese Medicine is called interfacing Fire and Water, or the Heart and Kidneys) and not in the stagnation of unconstructive thought, divorced from depth and heart. It's in union that we find the greatest pleasure (think of sex) so always bring the mind and heart together, which is what meditation and contemplation are all about. And if you need some aphrodisia to get them often conflicted parties to commingle I recommend yoga, qi gong and making music or even simple sound. A good exercise is to constantly reflect on oneself throughout the day, even arranging for perhaps a two-minute pause each hour to just be present to oneself and the moment around you. For some, this becomes a practice to the point where each day they are so present that there’s never a moment when they are drifting in the past or the future, unless to contemplate something of need. The breath is a powerful portal to the now so use awareness of its mechanism to bring you in. Also, to maintain positivity, working with affirmations and uplifting music, even in tandem, can be very powerful. And sometimes you have to fake it till you make: just smiling releases incredible endorphins and can change perspective! Dancing and movement can have the same effect. A teacher of mine always use to say when you're stuck just move in another direction, even if it seems absurd, just to stimulate the flow again. Remember, whatever you decide, the most important part is trusting that destiny is always helping you to take that decision to fruition in the lesson you need to learn to help you grow and evolve to let your beautiful nature shine even more. Pay attention, be aware and be positive that we’re part of a process of evolution that is going somewhere ever-great and positive! CommentsDaniel 08/17/2011 08:10
Great blog post Darren and thanks for sharing your genuine and heart-felt thoughts. You have alot of great tips and insights on living a balanced and meaningful life. One thing that has really helped me through my difficult times is applying compassion to all aspects of life. Leave a Reply | The Druid
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