Returning to Peace

The other day I listened to a Podcast from Martha Beck on The Gathering Room where she was talking about coming home to peace. She said the only way you can get everything you ever long for is by letting go of how you expect life to be and, instead, letting life bring it to you. As I let this sink in I realized this is what they are saying when they ( those enlightened people) are talking about not being attached to things. I was always a little confused by this because of course we're going to be attached to things, especially things that really matter to us like the people we love in our life, so I thought it was unrealistic to think we should never get attached to anything. Now I know that what they're really talking about is being attached to things that haven't happened yet, or staying attached to things that didn't work out for us. Planning out our life and then insisting it has to go that way, or focusing too much on what hasn't worked out causes unnecessary stress and anxiety, and doesn't leave room for the idea of something better to come along. As frustrating and sometimes heartbreaking as it is when things don't work out the way we planned, surrendering instead to the universe and letting it give us what we really need, and then being at peace while we wait for it to happen is the only way for it to happen.

As Martha talked about coming home to peace to find what we're looking for it hit me hard. I realized, after going through such a difficult time in my life, this is exactly what's happening. As I let go of everything, let go of trying to control anything, and let go of what I thought life should look like I feel I'm being led to where I need to be, and to the people I need to be with. Martha says the way to make this happen is by intention (visualizing what you want), attention (working hard at getting it), and then no-tention (letting it go and living in peace) while it works itself out. For whatever reason it seems that we first have to let things go and trust that we will be taken care of.

We also need to remember that it sometimes comes to us in an unexpected way and in a different package. I don't think God does this to trick us, I think He lets us make our own decisions and then when things don't work out the way we planned He rearranges things for us and sends it to us in a new way... which very often is not exactly what we asked for, but more of what we long for deep in our souls. And, surprisingly, it ends up being even better than what we were wishing for in the first place... so remember, this will only arrive when we trust first, and then Return to Peace...

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