Creating (external) conditions to get what we really want
A Zen master was giving a talk at the monastery. The master said to the monks: "Enlightenment is a Happy Accident."
After the talk, a monk came up and said to the master: "If enlightenment is a Happy Accident, then why do we meditate for hours a day, practice mindful gardening, and take occasional vows of silence?"
The master replied: "To become Accident-Prone."
Getting what we want - I mean what we really want - requires us to create external conditions to support us in getting it.
Love, enjoyment, ease, passion, fulfillment, satisfaction, connection, excitement, courage, power, insight, compassion.
Getting these things, experiencing these things, takes intentional external conditions. Conditions like:
Healthier lifestyles - eating better, sleeping better, moving better
Support structures - coach, support group, mastermind, community, and actions put into the calendar
Relationships - with ourselves, with others, with life, with reality (what's happening vs. our stories about what's happening)
Reflection - to decipher the things we truly desire beneath the surface-level material desires.
To become accident-prone and live our lives fully, it takes creating external conditions that encourage, support, and guide living life fully. External conditions make us accident-prone in the best way.
Being (internally) un-f💥ck⚡️ng-conditional
We humans are naturally quite conditional: we're internally conditional.
We assess ourselves, our situations, and others, and then we judge ourselves, our situations, and others. Our judgments become our internal conditions.
These internal conditions are reasons, and we use these conditions to play it safe, to play it small, and to justify our lack of courage.
Reasons to hold back.
Reasons to be guarded.
Reasons to be fearful.
Reasons to be doubtful.
Reasons to be stagnant.
Reasons to sit on our asses.
When we live our lives internally conditionally, we’re waiting on the right judgments to show up at the right times in order for us to take the right actions that inspire us.
There’s nothing wrong with living our lives conditionally! It’s more safe, it’s more protected, it’s more stable.
Living conditionally in this way, however, doesn’t have integrity.
We’re playing it safe against our inner wisdom. We’re withholding love that we’re dying to give. We’re stagnating in inaction when there are things we want to do.
Another thing about conditional living: it’s not nearly as fulfilling, invigorating, inspired, or creative as unconditional living is.
Check out this list. It's just the start.
Unconditionally forgiving
Unconditionally connected
Unconditionally joyful
Unconditionally present
Unconditionally engaged
Unconditionally generous
Unconditionally compassionate
Unconditionally grateful
Unconditionally at ease
Unconditionally inspired
Unconditionally courageous
Unconditionally in action
Unconditionally in service
Unconditionally passionate
Unconditionally loving
Unconditionally alive
So here’s what you’ve been waiting for, the trick to living an inspired, unconditional life.
Act based on your desired result, not based on your internal conditions, your judgments.
If your desired result is from inspiration, this way of life can't fail. There's only growing, being, acting, and living full out.
You want more love? Act lovingly, unconditionally. Cultivate loving feelings in your body, find loving perspectives to think, and speak with compassion and affection unconditionally.
You want more effective and fulfilling action? Express yourself and take action based on what inspires you, based on what has integrity for you, based on the future you'd love to create. And do this un-fucking-conditionally.
Look, it really is that simple. And the ONLY ingredient we ever need to live an inspired, unconditional life is this: Courage. When we are courageous, our actions, words, and feelings take care of themselves. We become invincible.
Thanks so much for reading. ❤️
P.S. One of my superpowers is that people who coach with me experience a profound shift in their lives - they consistently get in touch with what matters most to them, they take inspired and effective action, and they feel really good about it all. If you're interested in exploring what working with me would be like for you, schedule an exploration conversation with me. I promise - it'll be worth it.
