If you can meet with triumph and disaster, And treat those two imposters just the same.
— Rudyard Kipling in his poem “IF”
A man I just met — one I’ll liken to my own new Obi-Wan Kenobi (yeah, he also kinda looks like the original Most Interesting Man In The World too) — told me he’s never met an “experience” he didn’t gain from, or enjoy in the end.
Whether the loss of a deep intimate relationship, bankruptcy (twice), or a tumble off a cliff (a literal physical fall to near death), his stories of ‘grace under fire’ made me smile and simply realize something I’m purty damn sure we all need reminded of:
<< Life ebbs and flows… and… It All Shall Pass! >>
Maybe that sounds somewhat dark and heavy.. Possibly even a bit morbid?
Yet, as I got inquisitive with my Obi-Wan, it kinda hit me:There’s immense freeing power in that mantra. When you have a reminder so easy, so immediately-usable, it’s the equivalent of a blue lightsaber strike across the mind.
Without question, the more timeless ancient proverb, This Too Shall Pass, was stored in the back of my mind; however, it was probably never on the front-burner ‘cause… well… let’s face it, like most, I find obvious things a bit condescending.Yet, as my Obi-Wan explained recently:
“My lad, I want you to look beyond the future of life being temporary and straight into the face of a present painful or dramatic experience — accept and appreciate it, no matter what!”
Huh, WTF?
Okay, yeah, that was my tongue-in-cheek reaction to him. I half knew where he was coming from. But, I didn’t want to admit the other half of his knowings about me:
That I’ve been sorta addicted to (er, “attached” in his words) to fixing or solving a “bad” situation (ie, unresolved, unexpected, undesirable, unwanted — Eh, etc, etc, etc on all the shitty “un” words).
Maybe it’s the right-brain maleness in me; maybe it’s just the idea of the Clark Kent payoff (”hey, thank you Superman for saving my day!”) .. Or, as my now beginning-to-get-on-my-nerves Obi-Wan said:
“Maybe you just desire to totally suck at letting go — and not being in control!”
Whatever you say… you… yooou… yoooouu… pretentious little grey-haired wise man!
Okay, so bottom-line:
> It’s at the forefront of my mind that there is pleasure, and wisdom, in pain.
> In order to see, or sense, that goodness, we humans gotta learn to step-aside a bit. Or, learn to create some emotional space between us and the weird, crappy situation.
> We can’t fix every f**kin thing, but we can learn from every situation.
> Everything is changing, always. Yet, everything is temporary too. Seems like a sadistic trick by Mr. Universe, but yup.. I see how seeing growth and movement in the impermanent nature of things can help us to quit resisting and just ‘let go’ more than we’re willing to sometimes.
> Forget about the outcome; we unfortunately just have no true control over it. Sure, go ahead and throw out your most fantastic intention for a kick-ass positive result, but then… well.. step the hell aside, Virginia (or Vern).
Harder than it looks for us Type-A fixers, thou! Damit!
Anyway, the whole TTSP — This Too Shall Pass — modern catchphrase to me is all about remembering that life is very much like a roller-coaster.
We should expect to go thru it slow and steady on the upside then fast and furious on the downside. Sometimes the climb up seems like forever.
Then the adrenaline and excitement of the payoff goes quick.
Reverse that all too. We’re just in one big dang duality, law of polarity-based fun-park called Our Life..
Or, in the words of the late Bill Hicks…[short video]