Change is Easier Than Mind Thinks It To Be

I was once talking to my dear mentor Ruth about one of her favorite topics… Nisargadatta Maharaj. She was pointing out, he was wise, simple, and so expert at taking out the middle-man, getting right to the root of things. He did so without drama. No waiting in line. No procrastination. No hesitation. No f*ckery. No comeback later and we’ll talk about it some more and see if you’re making progress. No therapy. No gratitude lists. No ten point bullet plans. He was mostly… if you see something that you need or would like to change… determine what the change is and simply step into it, without hesitation or delay. It was simply *BE!* as the person you would like to *BE!* and get on with your life, as that what we decide to be.

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As I was sitting there in with pad and pen, writing down what Ruth was saying… my jaw dropped. My heart and mind was pushed open, waking up from what I’d thought was a nightmare of private suffering about a family member suffering from the disease of addiction in innumerable ways; on a daily basis. Prior to that moment, whenever I thought about change, it was basically like some internationally televised Olympic event, or readying to have some major war with myself to change… like the 200 times I’d previously tried tried tried and failed failed failed to stop smoking. For me, the easiest way to act on what she was saying to me was to simply write down a simple sentence in the palm of my hand. It was… “Be friendly to myself and others, without stipulations…” and then I just went out and did it.

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What was weird to me is that it worked on the spot and so well. There really was no drama. There was no need for an award. There was no need for praise. There was no need for people pleasing or winning people over. It was just being straight-up and friendly with myself and others. And in This Way, I traveled 100% lighter. No resentment. No anxiety. No frustration. No future-tripping hoping everything was gonna turn out okay… just my values, being alert, alive, and aware; in the here and now. And now the invitation Ruth extended to me, though she transitioned about 4 months ago… I extend the wisdom she taught and shared with me; to you as YOU.

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一We All Share the Same Sky