Illuminate Inside

A light bulb illuminates the outer world. What does one do to illuminate the inner world? What does one do when there is darkness? We turn on a light. Get rid of the darkness and can be productive. OR do we sit around in the darkness, not using the gift of electricity that we have?

The same way, we can illuminate our inner world through clarity in thought which comes about through awareness of breath and each moment which happens through meditation. Instead of living in fear, anger, living up to others expectations, ideas of who we are, beliefs shoved down on us about how we must behave, we can simply start accepting who we really are. What we feel. Acknowledge moment to moment our feelings of fear, anger, hatred in the same way as we accept happiness so readily. Isn’t that what we do? We are able to accept happiness so readily and welcome it with open arms but we resist all other emotions. The resistance draws such emotions even more into our reality. It confuses us. The reason being that we are not able to accept it just like we do happiness or pleasure.

How do we get from a place of getting all ruffled when things get derailed and life goes awry? The only way to balance out ALL our emotions is through meditation. Through being aware of everything that happens to us, with us and inside us. Accepting that we get angry is very important. Accepting that there are fears within us is very important. Accepting that we do resent certain people. And then understanding these feelings, digesting them, finding a way to get them out of our system and throwing it out from our body. Just like we throw trash in the dustbin. Or the way our body gets rid of the waste once it has absorbed all that which was necessary for our body.

Life has given us an opportunity to be. If we cannot accept who we are ourselves, how will others accept us? Once we stop struggling to impress others, stop defending ourselves, stop trying to hide our wounds, even from ourselves, and start opening up to the light, healing will follow.

There are on and off switches for lights the same way we can cultivate the switching on and off of the mind. The mind talks constantly and it gets no rest. The trick is not to try hard and tell the mind to quieten, then it will only talk more. The way is to watch every thought and analyse it. Accept it and then forgive and get over it.

We are fortunate that we can choose how we want to respond to people and circumstances. So if someone irritates you, get free from the usual instant lash out reaction. That will only create ripples inside you which will take hours or days to smoothen. Instead act in awareness and to your best interest. No one can control what another does, you can only control what you do. And that will bring you peace and freedom. That will bring you bliss. Become free from expectations from others and those that others have from you. Learn to love yourself and then we can share that love with others.