Remain attached to the goodness inside you, to the innocence of spirit that tells you that all will be well. Remain attached to that which holds promise for all beings, that all may flourish and grow. That which serves the one but not the many will not prevail, for it lacks the basic necessities; kindness, compassion, and love for all being the most crucial. Let not the troubled times you live in take away your own basic knowing that indeed that which is innocent, decent, respectful, and all-inclusive is not gone or forgotten but surging within you, each and every day, in the love you have to offer from your own heart of innocence. Let it shine and bring you peace, within and without.
Seek solace in knowing that all will be well, that the dust will settle, that the outer turbulence will come into stillness, that the inequality will gain balance, that the inner unease will grow calm. In time, as in nature, things evolve. The laws of nature will prevail and that which now troubles will be gone, as the night goes into day, as the storms pass on into quiet, as the seasons pass through, one to the next. So does everything change. Keep hope in knowing the laws of change. Keep love in the heart and sobriety in the mind. Keep kindness on the tongue and compassion in hand, for this time too shall pass on into something new.
Learn to go with the flow. As flowing water changes constantly as it flows along, learn how to be as fluid as a stream, as strong as a river, as powerful as an ocean. In everything you do, be like flowing water so you don’t get caught, backed into a corner, of held back by that which will only keep you contained and unchanging. Change like water changes, constantly, and let nothing get you down or keep you from your spirit’s call, for that is what life is all about, answering your spirit’s call.
Change happens all the time, in both subtle and abrupt ways. On all levels, whether you can see it or not, change is happening. By your intent you can affect change. With your spirit’s help and your heart centered focus bring about change that is productive, healing, and helpful. With love as your anchor intend a more loving, inclusive society, a more balanced world, a safer environment and a shared vision where all have the ability to prosper and grow. With love in your heart you can change anything, even yourself.
“To seek freedom… be like the flame of a candle, which, in spite of being up against the light of a billion stars, remains intact, because it never pretended to be more than what it is: a mere candle.” – Don Juan Matus, from The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge
It’s a mighty challenge to be born into this life as an ego, a limited point of consciousness, separated from its greater wholeness. This limitation is the price we pay to exclusively explore one facet of the fuller diamond we are, in a life that begins and ends in space/time.
Ego has risen beyond the control of its own instinctual nature into a being capable of making its own decisions. This evolution beyond the strict control of its subconscious programming has given rise to civilization and human domination of the Earth.
This moment we are now living in is the ultimate exploration of ego’s freedom to consider only itself —its wants and needs— as the basis of its governing decisions. The sky is the limit for the ego of now, much like Icarus, whose intoxication with flying on his wax wings drew him higher and closer to the sun.
It’s inevitable that ego test the limits of its power. Simply observe the toddler testing its newfound powers of locomotion. Caution is thrown to the wind in the thrill of discovery and autonomous movement. This same excitement of power and mastery accompanies ego at all stages of life.
Truthfully, however, underneath it all, ego knows it is inherently inadequate. How could it be otherwise? Ego is but a fragment of its greater wholeness. Ego’s underlying instinctual programming has heralded evolution, devoid of consciousness. Ego’s now conscious ability to negate that programming is a tremendous feat, but ego also lacks the wisdom packed into those archetypal programs. Managing the survival of the planet requires more wisdom than ego can possibly amass in its limited time on Earth.
The evolutionary challenge now posed to ego is to rise above its egoism and discover a higher authority within itself that can teach it the path of right action. Ego must silence its own internal dialogue that incessantly attempts to keep it secure in its knowing of everything. In the silence beyond that chatter is the voice of wisdom that resides in the mature heart.
Ego needn’t feel ashamed of its objective inadequacy. Ego has the unparalleled gift of consciousness, but it must discover how to exercise its powers in the service of the greater whole that it is but a fragment of. Ego is not yet convinced it can’t simply go it alone, hence, it is currently testing the hypothesis that it is all that there is.
After the fall of this experiment, ego, like Icarus will come down to Earth with the humility proper to its status. This is the ego that will accept that it is indeed but a solitary candle amidst the light of a billion stars. However, this acceptance of its smallness, lacking any illusory inflation, is the attitude that will protect that flame from perhaps ever blowing out.
May we all find our way to the smallness of a single candle flame. With such humility, we connect to the wisdom awaiting us all in our mature hearts.
