Considering a Lifestyle Change? Don’t Even Think About it!
Posted: Monday, August 09, 2010
by e
Dhammabucha Rocksprings Meditation
Remember that all-in-one 48 piece exercise gym that you bought a few years ago? You even figured out how put it together, and actually worked out for a month or two! Then the sessions got further and further apart, and finally you had to disassemble the infernal contraption and move it into another area (the attic) to make space for your new "media room."
Look, youve given it a bloody go and it just didnt happen. Like water seeking its own level, we eternally end up just where we were supposed to be - without fail.
There is something unsettling about trying to change. It's as if we are not good enough as we are and must add something. Maybe we don't think that we are smart enough, or thin enough, or pretty enough. Then we jump through all kinds of hoops to change those impressions.
Why?
Why can't we just relax into what we naturally are letting the chips fall where they may? Why are we afraid to be us? I'll bet if you truly became yourself, sincerely, following your heart with everything that you do, you would find a pretty awesome being in there somewhere.
Change; I mean real change, authentic change, can never be the result of trying to change. Let me repeat that if I may: Real change, authentic change, can never be the result of "trying" to change. It never holds.
Real change only comes when we relax into what we are, which then affords us the time to see clearly and unabashedly exactly' what we are. Setting goals or trying to change into something else takes our eye off the ball.
When we set a goal, we force our mind to follow certain preset patterns. Our minds are more intelligent than that, however, and forcing our minds to follow set patterns means that we restrict the mind within very narrow limits. This cripples the mind from its normal, unrestricted nature, which is the nature to investigate constantly. This means that we would naturally investigate the goal, itself, if we allowed our minds to do their natural thing. Therefore, goal setting gets in the way of a natural, deeper creativity. We become mechanical.
All goal setting is a result of discontent. If we weren't discontented with our life here, why would we have to set goals to get there? We are not satisfied with a high school diploma, so we go to college. We are not happy just with an undergraduate degree so we go to graduate school. We are not happy with just a masters degree, so we study for a doctorate. We aren't happy as a doctor so we go to school to become a specialist (cause thats where the real money is). It never ends.
Rather than blindly follow a goal, regardless of how lofty it may be, the mind should be free to see all possibilities. Once it is restricted and programmed to follow a set course, it will do so at the expense of seeing reality, a reality that appears and changes moment to moment. We give up the spontaneity of this moment (where life is truly lived) for concepts and theories. We are no longer "street smart," but become academic, conceptual, and subsequently caught up in suppositions and abstractions. We in fact become dead.
When the mind, however, is unrestricted in its activities and free of fear or the quest for security, then there is the possibility of constant creativeness and persistent aliveness. When the mind restricts itself, there is only mechanical movement that is so mundanely apparent. Therefore, the setting of a goal may be creative, but the efforts to acquire that goal or follow a goal, or try to get to a goal; these will not be creative.
We may spend one percent of our time creating a goal and ninety-nine percent of our time trying to achieve that goal, which is ninety-nine percent of uncreative activity. Some goals that we set tie us down for a long time, maybe even a lifetime, and are never revisited or reevaluated. We fall fast asleep. We no longer investigate, and when we no longer investigate, we blind ourselves and then go down the same paths humanity has gone down since the beginning of civilization; paths of greed, hatred, illusions . . . and war.
There is a better way. The better way is to be awake all the time, every moment. Living in the world of course requires goals - eating, working, raising families - these all require planning; we don't eat our seed corn or become surprised when spring comes along and then remember that we had forgotten to plant our rice. This is all part of life.
But to set psychological goals to escape boredom or for no reason other than pleasure, or a lack of security of what we are or what will become of us, then goals rob us of the real security - our inherent spirituality. Here, within the subtle world of spirituality, goals simply get in the way of the ultimate creativity, the creativity that truly frees us from our bondage. An ultimate creativity far removed from our everyday world that frees us from ourselves - a concept about which a goal setting mind will never have a clue.
It's when we DON'T think about it, and just observe silently, intently, that our lives change. And that change, more often than not, comes out of left field.
Think about it. (Or, maybe . . . don't think about it?)
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More commentsProbably a little easier for those of us who aren't intellectually capable of being anything other than ourselves. Wonder if that's good or bad, hmm?Good! Thanks my wisdom filled friend!
Okay Raymond, now you're starting to annoy me. You always make perfect sense, too much sense. Today we had a contractor in to discuss a kitchen reno. I've wanted a new kitchen for years, I know I don't need it. Now my husband is actually in agreement with the reno. But your articles come to mind and as we discussed the reno over dinner, I said, "Raymond Rock would have a real problem with this new kitchen." My husband said, "Raymond who?" I explained how a new kitchen wouldn't make everything perfect like we imagine, soon after we have it we'll be looking ahead to the next home reno. Like when we lose five pounds and then want to lose five more. We're never satisfied with ourselves or with what we have or we wouldn't continually look for satisfaction in things that don't matter. 'Freedom is another word for nothing else to lose,' has stuck with me. But realistically how do you actually get there? I know, don't think about it, just sit back and let whatever happens happen? BTW just kidding about the annoying part. :)And you're starting to annoy me with your ingenious comments:) :) Yes, a new kitchen is shooting the arrow outward from ourselves which provides temporary satisfaction at best, instead of going inward and investigating where lasting contentment lies.How do you get there? Non Attachment. How do you become non attached? You begin to see the danger in pleasure because every pleasure balances itself with pain. Meditation helps. 20 minutes day is good to begin with. Mornings are best.Metta......e
I'm a "let the chips fall where they may" kind of guy. Thanks for validating my uncompromisingly low velocity life style.Low velocity life! What a beautiful phrase to coin. Thank you my friend.
This was a great piece of advice.Thank you so much John. I appreciate your comment.Best.....e
Excellent piece, sir. As Yoda said (once, long ago), there is no try. Do or do not. When I stopped smoking, which is probably the biggest accomplishment for me in the past year, I started getting anxious and nervous only when I thought about it too much. Overthinking is tying up the mind from performing the actual feat (or goal). Great advice here.Thank you so much Michael. Yep, thinking is a problem solver, meaning that whenever you are thinking, you are in conflict :)Best.....e
I read your well-written piece, Mr Brock. When I finished, I had three thoughts. 1) The one who aims at nothing usually hits it. 2) I am so thankful, now that football season is upon us, that no college or pro teams subscribe to you "no goals" and "don't even think about changing anything for the better" philosophy. 3) I am even more thankful that Mr. Wilberforce didn't have that attitude toward the ending of the slave trade in Great Britian. Of course, one can think too much and be too goal obsessed; but one can just as surely think too little and give too little consideration to goals for his or her life. I respectfully and strongly disagree with you article.
This article aims at a different level Dane. Thank you for your comments.
This is for Reader's Club. BlessingsThanks again for your support Goshwin. Hope you have a peaceful day.Metta.....e
Great article and it reminds me of a tale that a wise man shared with me of the musk deer. This animal devotes its entire life in seeking an aroma, a perfume that it loves beyond all else. In reality the aroma and scent that it adores so much is his.Unless we think God is some kind of sloppy creator we are each potentially perfect, but the little game ( no I do not know why) is that we have to individually realise it.The irony is that as you say the full body multi gym/ teach yourself Tango is in some ways easier than self realisation. With the multi gym we are in control, but in self realisation we (the doer) have to get out of the way. I guess thats the way God planned it.Maybe I,ll try the "learn to dance like Michael Jackson" video next.Hah! Thanks Terry.Best.....e
I am intelligent enough to give credit where credit is due, on the readers club!Paybacks are beautiful! Thanks David.
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