LIFE’S PARADOX OF THE IDEAL –
“While the circum-
stances of our lives
may not change, the
way we deal with those
circumstances does.” “[W]e
cease to struggle against life
on life’s terms. Striving to
maintain and build on our
surrender, we are better
able to live and enjoy
life in the moment.”
(It Works, How &
Why, p. 23)
“[One] must be out
-of-doors enough to
get experience of whole-
some reality, as a ballast
to thought and sentiment.
Health requires this re-
laxation, this aim-
less life.”
– Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 1862) U.S. poet / novelist
Whitney Houston Tribute at the 2012 Grammy Awards (3:09)
Thoreau Bio (1:43)
Bhagavad Gita Reincarnation Meditation (6:36)
What does “living life on life’s terms” mean in your life today?
The Caged Monkey :
Once there was a poor man. He owned a monkey. The monkey used to display a variety of tricks. He worked hard the whole day. The people who watched him would throw coins for him. He would collect them and gave them to his master.
Once, the master took the monkey to the zoo. There he saw a caged monkey. People were feeding him fruits and biscuits. The monkey thought, “This caged monkey is lucky. He does not need to work hard to get food. He is having free food here.”
That night, he went to live in the zoo’s cage. He loved the rest and the free food for a few days. Then he started getting bored. He had to wait for the visitors who would come to see him in the cage. After a few weeks, the monkey got fed up of such a life. He ran away from the zoo and came back to his master who welcomed him warmly.
The monkey realized that it is hard to earn a living but sitting idle can be even more hard and dangerous.
I like what Margot had to say. I think that for me living life on Life’s terms is in line with what I have been saying all along….pay attention to my ecology, and let that dictate my actions. Instead of fighting against Life, I collaborate with it.
5
At dinner with friends last light, the topic of Higher Power came up and how HP always shows up in our lives when needed. I replied that HP was not always about giving us what we want and need; for example, I have been looking for an apartment for many months, using the God Box, etc. and nothing! Nada, nein, nil, zilch! Everyone spoke at once: a Friend in Program was trying to reach me to offer me a small house in her backyard. It sounds perfect. I don’t know if it will work out as I want, but HP just did a big, old ITYS! (I told you so!)
That’s beautiful. I hope it does work out. Never loose faith. Never. That seems to be lesson we learn over and over again. That and just because it doesn’t happen today doesn’t mean it will never happen or that its supposed to happen at all.