James Andrew
When all of the inherent baggage of the past drags one down, and fearful projections of future calamity find one utterly paralyzed, it’s time to get present — something as simple as taking time to observe one’s breath or just being aware of, say, the sunlight (if there happens to be any!) can bring some much needed grounding. It’s an age old technique and has been re-espoused and championed by nearly every modern master of the mind (Eckhart Tolle, Thich Nhat Hanh, Shunryu Suzuk, Jiddu Krishnamurti; the list goes on and on). Now is where everything that we know and experience is and always will be! If everything is a mess, well then, that is how it is. Whether one likes or dislikes that experience doesn’t actually have much to do with things — that mess has a perfection about it — a perfect mess! We only begin to have problems when we start to see things one way or another — when we start to fuss — and then we waste a LOT of energy running away from (or looking for, as the case may be) what we perceive to be a huge threat or an irresistible object of desire.
Of course one does need to try to create a better environment and reality for oneself and others, but taking it easy and being still is an absolute prerequisite to any effort. From there, we can scoop up some of the tremendous energy that is all around us right now, and if we want, fashion it with clarity into a better situation.
In this effort, it is really important to recognize how we perceive struggle; I find great comfort in the fine words of Neale Donald Walsch:
“It is okay to be at a place of struggle. Struggle is just another word for growth. Even the most evolved beings find themselves in a place of struggle now and then. In fact, struggle is a sure sign to them that they are expanding; it is their indication of real and important progress. The only one who doesn’t struggle is the one who doesn’t grow. So if you are struggling right now, see it as a terrific sign — and celebrate your struggle.”
As you know, I’m quite an experienced daydreamer (and it got me into no small bit of trouble as a youngster in school!), but even now, I quite often need to remind myself to use daydreaming in a more powerful way, and to be aware of the stories I’m telling myself. Those imaginings, whatever they may be, become reality! Try creating a truly palpable and beautiful daydream (that is, make believe as if it were already manifest) on a regular basis — I myself make this a daily routine — and watch your very best imaginings blossom in this wonderfully perfect moment!
Giving thanks for the sunlight (and the gorgeous strains of Carmen playing in the background), I’m thinking of the infinite potential of the here and now. I’m sporting a Tom Ford era Gucci navy cotton velvet jacket, Tom Ford ink and ivory cotton plaid shirt, purple wool tie, purple glen plaid silk pocket square, glasses and black and tan leather loafers, Etro wool challis scarf in a Sonia Delaunay inspired print, Uniqlo slim jeans, Ralph Lauren purple alligator belt with sterling buckle, vintage Rolex, Tom Ford bronzing gel and my fragrance is Lorenzo Villoresi’s, Garofano.