Ya’ll, ten years ago I consciously began walking my spiritual path. Don’t get me wrong; before my searching began I was on my path because you can’t really get off your path. But, in my mid-thirties I knew I needed more—more meaning, more satisfaction, more purpose. I was determined to find it.
So, I tried everything. I bought every self-help book you could imagine. Everything from cleaning out my house to clearing out my head. I tried being vulnerable, acting bravely, becoming authentic and getting real. I found it all so confusing. I was plagued by questions. What is the right way? What should I be doing? What should I be thinking? What is the truth?
I stayed in a perpetual spin of techniques and processes until I received the best piece of advice ever. This advice changed everything for me. It’s simple and powerful. Here it is…
Stop.
Stop doing things with your thoughts, actions, or words that make things worse.
You see, we aren’t meant to suffer and most of our suffering comes through our own actions, our own thoughts, our own stories of blame and judgement. When we stop creating self-inflicting pain we have reached a point where everything is okay just as it is. We are okay just as we are. It may change. It may stay the same. Either way is okay because at our core we are okay.
I found the act of stopping very powerful. By stopping the creation of pain (through my thoughts, words, deeds) I made room for the okayness of me and the okayness of everything else to emerge. The Okayness surfaced on its own without any help from me. I just stopped doing anything that blocked it out.
It works ya’ll. I know it sounds too simple, but it works. I promise.
- Helpful Hint: You will know when you have reached the point of okayness because it tastes of freedom and liberation.