Weekend Inspiration

Today, Sunday June 1, marks the 20th day in the "40 Days of Change". I have to say that the intentions I have set and then "let go" are definitely working...I feel a change, which in turn makes me feel pretty at ease with myself, my life and my world.

Sunday's Inspiration - Day 20

"You're off to great places.
You're off and away!
Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest....

Except when you don't,
because, sometimes, you won't...

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you."

- Dr. Suess

We all know by now that life is full of ups and downs, wins and losses, darkness and light. But if you're like me, my mind still prefers the ups to the downs, the light to the dark. Its a practice to leave preferences behind and find contentment in each moment - santosha. I love that word. I also love the following story, for it comes to mind whenever I notice my mind taking me down some "not so good street" about whatever happens to be presenting itself in my life....a situation hovering in mid-air before me... curiously waiting for my response.

I reach for this story and grab the words "ah so" and practice.....

"There was a monk who lived in the monastery up on the hill. The local girl down in the village got pregnant by the fisherman. She didn't want to cause problems for him in the village, so she said, "It was the monk up in the monastery. They knocked on the gate, and the monk opened the door; they said to the monk, "This is your baby - you raise it." And the monk said, "Ah, so." And he took the baby, and he closed the gate. I mean, the guy's whole life changed just like that, in that moment, and his only reaction is, "Ah, so."

Nine years later the girl was dying. She didn't want to die without admitting what had happened, so she said to the people, "Look, I lied. It really wasn't the monk, it was the fisherman."

The villagers were horrified! They went up to the monastery and they knocked on the door. The monk opened the gate, and there standing next to him was this nine-year-old child. The villagers said, "We've made a terrible mistake. This isn't your child after all. We'll take him back down to the village to raise him, and you're free to go back to your monastic life." And the monk said, "Ah, so." He was so much right here that whatever new change arose, "Ah, so." [as told by Ram Dass]

Saturday's Inspriation - Day 19

"Our whole business therefore in this life," wrote Saint Augustine, rather Yogically, "is to restore to health...the eye of the heart whereby God may be seen."

Hope everyone is having a great weekend :)