Persistence is The Way … ( 08 / 06 / 2012 )
Persistence is The Way … ( 08 / 06 / 2012 )
“ We either make ourselves miserable , or we make ourselves strong . The amount of work is the same .” ~ Carlos Castaneda
It is true that we are to avoid “ pushing the river ” … Namely , when our efforts to do a certain thing in a certain way ( or be with a certain person in a certain way , or create a certain life in a certain way ) cause us repeated experiences of pain and frustration , it is indeed wise to let them go and do something else ( with someone else and with a different intention ) …
And when God ’ s Will ( or “ the flow of the Universe ”, for all you New Agers — or “ dramatic happenstance ”, for all you secular humanists ) repeatedly conflicts with your personal goals , it is indeed a very good idea to change the latter and align your intentions with what IS -- as opposed to what you think “ should be ”.
That having been said , we humans – especially when the going gets tough – have an uncanny knack for quitting far too soon :
* We “ Love an enemy ” once , and then shun them anew when they don ’ t respond with immediate Kindness .
* We forgive one who has wronged us , but then turn away from them when they choose not to accept that forgiveness .
* We make ourselves vulnerable to another , only to close our Hearts the very next time we are hurt .
That is not how real LOVE works , my Friends … For any real change to come — both to us as well as for others nearby , we must PERSIST in our Loving . After all , Big Change just doesn ’ t happen right away . Indeed , it is impossible to erase decades ( if not eons ) of fear with a few moments of bravery …
And yet if we have the courage to calmly continue to swim in that river — even if the going is slow , we will get to Peace …
… We will become agents of Change .
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