The Great Myth (Lie) We've Bought Into

One of my favorite quotes is this one by Rupert Spira: “The source of all human suffering is a single thought: ‘I don’t like this.’”

I find it to be very accurate for me! However, I think there’s an even more insidious version of it at play in our lives.

Nearly every single one of us was born into this myth. We believe it to be true on a personal level and a societal level.

When we’re born, we breathe in our first breath of air, and the indoctrination into this myth begins. 

We hear it from our parents. We hear it from our teachers. We hear it from our preachers, our tv shows, our music. 

We believe it about most aspects of our experience - things we see, hear, feel, and think. 

• When we beat ourselves up over something we said or did, or didn’t say or didn’t do - we're living in the myth.

• When we feel anxiety - we're living in the myth. 

• When we complain, gossip, or otherwise live from curmudgeon energy - we're living in the myth. 

• When our opinions lead us to frustration and self-righteousness - we're living in the myth.

The myth we’ve bought into and live from is this: The Great Myth of “Should.”

This shouldn’t be. I shouldn’t feel this way. I shouldn’t act this way. They shouldn’t act that way. They shouldn’t be that way. It shouldn’t be this way! Etc.

Or

That should be. I should feel that way. I should act that way. They should be that way. They shouldn’t be that way. It should be that way! Etc.

Look, don’t take my word for it. See for yourself!

Where are you living The Great Myth of Should about yourself, others, the world, life?

Should is an argument with reality. Should is an arrogant perspective. Should is a negation of what is and a belief that we know what's better.

"Should" doesn’t exist in nature. It ONLY exists in language. 

Where are you shoulding in your life? Where are you shoulding on yourself and others?

Every place we notice that we're operating under a should, we have an opportunity to get free. How to use it to get free is a topic for another post (or better yet, conversation). For right now, just notice:

Where are you spouting the myth of should, at yourself and others? In your mind and heart? In how you move and act?

There’s no freedom in should, because should is inherently inauthentic. Should is only a concept, and the spark of life within us isn’t a concept, it’s a divine force of the universe. 

Should is a myth, but since we don't see it as a myth, it's become something worse: it's a lie we tell ourselves and others, and we feel it in the depths of our being.

Much Love. ❤️

My Favorite Audio Lately

I love talking to people about podcasts they enjoy. I’ve got some favorites too.

And whether it’s a great podcast, a great audiobook, or great music, there’s so much great stuff to listen to!

Listening while driving. Listening while walking. Listening while working. Listening while cleaning. Listening while cutting the grass. Listening while lying in bed.

My absolute favorite audio lately? No audio at all.

No podcast at all. No audiobook at all. No music at all.

When I want to really taste something I’m eating, I close my eyes. Suspending my visual sensory input magnifies the flavor. It’s incredible, try it out!

So when I’m driving, even though there’s plenty of great things to listen to, I’m finding that my favorite thing to listen to lately is nothing at all.

My God, the details in the universe around us! Yes to waking up to more to them!

Sometimes I’m compelled to listen to anything at all, just anything…and especially then I keep the audio off. Instead, I turn my listening within…

What is it within me that’s craving that distraction?

What is it within me that I’m so unwilling to sit with?

THAT’S what I’m giving my attention to - The feel of that part of me. The shape of that part of me. The history of that part of me. The depth of that part of me.

Yes it’s uncomfortable! But it’s no less beautiful or insightful because it’s uncomfortable.

Yes it can seem boring! But that’s only because we’re not trained in the arts of curiosity and wonder as much as we could be.

This isn’t a post against audio! This is a post for intentional quiet time. 

Have you noticed how much our teens (and friends, and colleagues, and we ourselves!) can sit on social media watching the endless streams of reels and images? 

Many of us were living so distractedly well before smartphones - with tv and radio always playing in the background. 

And there’s nothing wrong with distracting ourselves. It’s just that, well, we might often find more of what we’re really looking for in the silence. 

I still listen to audio. I’m just doing it much more consciously these days.

I invite you to consider doing the same. ❤️ 

“All of humanity's problems stem from man's [unwillingness] to sit quietly in a room alone.”

- Blaise Pascal

“Silence is the language of God, all else is poor translation.”

- Rumi

“Settle yourself in solitude and you will come upon Him in yourself.”

- St. Teresa of Ávila

“Few things under heaven are as instructive as the lessons of silence.”

- Tao Te Ching

“In silence there is eloquence. Stop weaving and see how the pattern improves.”

- Rumi

“Never lose a holy curiosity.”

- Einstein 

Lulled Into Unconsciousness

Last week I had a daily assignment: I explored my experience.

When my hourly alarm went off, I took a moment to experience. 

I looked at what I was looking at. 

I felt what I was feeling.

I experienced what I was noticing, either outside or inside myself.

I described the experience to myself, then I took a moment to simply experience it.

Tasting food. 

Seeing color.

Feeling an emotion.

So much detail. 

In fact, there’s infinite detail in all directions.

But do I notice it? Do you? 

If I’m not generally present to my actual experience, then what am I mostly present to?

Concepts.

Mostly, you and I aren’t present to our experience, we’re present to the concepts of our experience.

The stories. The judgments. The meaning. The significance. 

Here’s something the lasting spiritual practices of the world have in common: wake up, heaven is among us.

We spend our time griping, and we miss the beauty. 

We spend our time stressing, and we miss the grace.

We spend our time longing for what’s to come, and we miss the gift of Now.

We spend our time defending, gossiping, or plotting, and we miss the sacredness of human being.

Conceptualizing our lives is how we're lulled into unconsciousness.

Conceptualizing is a powerful capability of the human mind, but it's not the only tool available to us. Experiencing is another.

What are you experiencing, right now?

Getting present to what’s so is always a critical and valuable access to living into what’s possible.

Much Love. ❤️