Narrowing the Gap

People often tell others what changes they would like to adopt for their lives, especially at the beginning of the year when the discussion of new year resolutions is always a handy ice-breaker for starting mundane conversations.  Even without statistical findings you might agree that stress reduction or weight loss are common goals for a lot of people, attributing to a greater awareness of health in general.  Yet what people aspire to do and what they are actually doing often have a huge gap.  For instance, they might want to have longer hours of sleep and shorter working hours, only to find themselves hooked on social media at 1am in the morning.  While knowing conceptually that rest is important, we really need to be curious about what makes us feel satisfied deep within us.  We are all wired in our own unique way and what is right even for the majority might not be right for you.  Perhaps virtual connection with human beings is more important than longer hours of sleep, then why not go for it?  To take one more step, how about trying to demystify and feel if such kind of connection is a healthy one, or are you simply recreating some childhood non-fulfilment?  The same applies to weight loss, are you starving for calories or love, or craving for fat or security?  We need to be compassionate to ourselves whatever the reason is.

I am not dismissing the need for a right balance.  Our body, mind and spirit have to be working in tandem towards an equilibrium so that our ability to partake in activities that we desire is not impaired.  The key is that we have to find out our own unique formula and not just follow a hard and fast rule for all.  Pointing at the root cause of a phenomenon or behaviour, desirable or not, is probably the first step to de-conditioning. 

Don't Chase Your Own Tail

Let go of your ego by losing yourself -
Into the spaciousness of your heart
Not by learning to forget the self

Only when you can feel but not think
Can you recognise the habits of the mind
Drop the approach and forgo the method
Create not a concept on another concept
And massage the ego no more
Connect with the spiritual heart
See through and see beyond the mind
Come to know its intrinsic value
Where the divinity resides -
With with we merge

Wish For Freedom

What is the biggest freedom that one can wish for?  Can it be the freedom to have a job that you are passionate with?  Or the freedom to say what you want without having to bear with the consequences?  How about the freedom to acquire material things and knowing that it will be well within your means?  And wouldn't it be enticing if you only need to be with people of your choice?

Perhaps you or someone that you know have had some experience of what is being mentioned here, may it be for a short period or for long.  But how many of them are truly happy even after all these “dreams” have come true?  Whatever we wish for in life, there is clearly only one objective - to be happy.  So maybe you may start to wonder whether one’s biggest freedom is really the freedom to be happy.  And if yes, then your wish has indeed already come true, as you always have the choice to relate to people and situations in a positive manner, right here and now.