An interesting thing happened this morning. It was hours before I realized just how “interesting” it was. But before I get to the actual event, allow me first to explain a little bit about what I’ve been working on…
As some of you may know, there’s been a lot of hype about Ekhart Tolley’s new book, “The New Earth”. While I haven’t actually read it yet, my mom has told me enough about it that I almost feel an authority on the subject myself! It really is good stuff. I’ve been thinking about the principles of it a lot since hearing about it. The coolest part is, it ties together everything I’ve learned about “The Secret”, the power of energy, the power of the mind, the soul, the gospels in the Bible – even feng shui!!
For those who don’t already know, Tolley talks about the peace, serenity, and power that comes with just “being”. Everything else is just mindless chatter. Once you become aware of this simple, but resonating fact, you also become aware that all of that “mindless chatter” is predominantly negative. Think about it. What do you find yourself mentally dwelling upon? Money, bills, appearance, judgments, painful memories, personal desires, and most importantly, how difficult it is to have all of that or get over any of it. You’re constantly trying to, but fail to see that THAT is the biggest problem. Even by focusing on the positive, you’re still not quite hitting the mark. Because Tolley’s entire point, is that there is no real “focusing” at all. You. Just. Be. Exist. Draw life. That is all. Like as Jesus said, “Look at the lillies in the field. They do not toil, and they do not sow. And yet Soloman, in all his splendor and riches, was not dressed so well.” I’m paraphrasing. Lillies do nothing but exist, yet they have everything they need.
At first, I kinda scoffed at it, “Well, then what do you do, just sit around like a slug?” But no. You get up, you do what you want to do for that day, and you go to sleep. You don’t worry about, “Oh if I don’t get this done…” or “I have to make sure this happens…” with an underlying fear of the consequences if you don’t.
So now, I get up. I have my coffee. I go outside. I look at the trees, and the birds flying here and there. I hear the sound of the wind, and how it brushes across my face like an invisible kiss. I see the color of grass, and the pattern of the bricks on the houses across the street. I feel the energy from the constant stream of life all around me. There’s SO MUCH of it. It’s incredible. I once heard that there’s is enough life on earth to fill 10 planets. Imagine how much energy that is! And we’re all connected to it because we’re all made from the same stuff – beyond the cells, the nuclear elements, beyond even the atom, is simply energy. MASSIVE amounts of it. I think of that “energy” as the divine pieces from God, of God, and is God – at the core of us all. And THAT is how God is connected to us, around us, and connects us to eachother and every living thing on earth AT ALL TIMES.
Deep, huh? Yeah, I know. People go around trying to discover our purpose and the meaning of life. But the greater purpose is life itself, and THAT is meaningful! I think that is the fundamental truth that Tolley is trying to get at.
Ok, so I’ve been doing this everyday for the last, oh, week or so I guess. Not really seeing any external changes in my life, and not expecting any. Then this morning…
True coffee lovers will understand just how important that very first cup of coffee is. I had waited patiently while it brewed, and was now finally getting a chance to enjoy it. Now, me, I “doctor” my coffee. Not just with milk and sugar (yuck), but with french vanilla cream, and Splenda Mocha packets (the best invention since coffee filters, if you ask me). The cup was filled almost to the brim. I finished stirring it – old baby spoons make excellent stirrers, btw – and went to take it off the counter. For some reason, my hand slipped and the coffee cup started to fall. I managed to catch it, but the SCALDING HOT coffee splashed all over my hand! THAT made me drop it. Not only did the cup break, but a large amount of coffee was now covering a large portion of my freshly-mopped-yesterday kitchen floor. I just stood there and stared at it. Coffee had spilled ALL OVER ME, but thankfully, the burning sensation had ceased. Here’s the thing. I didn’t get upset! I mean, AT ALL!!! I had no reaction whatsoever. Not only did I have a huge mess, and my clothes were stained, but I didn’t even get to take one sip of the coffee I’d waited for until after I got my daughter off to school, and fixed breakfast for the other kids. But I was not in the least upset. I just got out my floormate, cleaned up the mess, changed my clothes, and made another cup of coffee. I even thought, “Well, now there’s a large portion of the floor that’s cleaner than it was an hour ago…” lol
I went outside, and looked at the trees, felt the air, saw the birds and the buildings, and watched how the grass bends and almost ripples with the wind…it wasn’t for hours before I realized just how significant that was and that this inner peace that I have been attaining is actually working!! That’s not to say I’m “Ghandi” or anything. Afterall, when my son failed AGAIN to “poo on the potty seat” this morning, I was very disappointed! But to experience such calm in the face of a truly heinous event (to me), was HUGE!
So, I thought I’d blog about it. 
