The mystery and beauty of life.

“Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.”  ~ Thich Nhat Hanh; Vietnamese Buddhist monk, peace activist and lecturer.

     Ever felt like life itself is conspiring against you…??  Ever felt miserable because things are not going the way you expected them to…??  And in the back of your mind there is something, a loud and anxious voice telling you to quit and fear the worst, while there is another, fainter,  and seemingly weaker, voice coming from deep inside you telling you to keep going in spite of the challenges, telling you that perhaps there is something to this; hence, trapped and narrowed by these two opponents, your mind becomes angry and overwhelmed with fear and confusion, then you turn around and you denounce the world and what is currently happening to you, and consequently your mind is closed and life to you seems uglier and more violent than before.

     You walk around in a bad mood now and only see demons in your friends and family which you cannot stand, such demons that once before you considered angels in your path; and when somebody nears you and talks to you with a smile or with a joke, you become more fixed in your own dark and muddy thoughts and you think they are mocking your current situation or somehow belittling you.

     Perhaps you listened to the wrong voice from the start–that is ‘the loud and anxious voice telling you to quit and fear the worst,’ remember?  This voice did wrong by you, no doubt about it; its loudness and commanding anxiety meant freak control and fear-mongering to your already confused mind, it robbed you of your wisdom and deep logic and it made you into a belligerent fool whose eyes only saw negativity and unfairness wherever you went.  And now you ask yourself, What do I do…??

     But that’s just it, don’t you see?!  What do I do…??  That is exactly the answer!  Because that is the mystery and beauty of life; the incredible challenges, the confusion and fear, the great wisdom of the great sage imparted to you.  That is what can make you or break you, isn’t it?  If it breaks you is a sign, so you fix yourself, you pick yourself up and you become hard like steel, laugh at what happened to you and continue going without stop; if it makes you is a sign as well, so you fill yourself with strength, you become grateful and continue with a higher vision.  The fear, the embarrassment, the confusion, the negativity; we all feel this, and we all have the strength and wisdom to come out on top of every situation, because life itself, the core of its essence beyond what this negative voice in our head says to us on a daily basis, is perfect and all wise, it knows us and what we really can accomplish; for this essence of life is strength and positive creation, and this is energy which lives inside each cell, each atom, and inside each corpuscle making us and everything we see around us.

     This is the greatness and richness of life, friend!  Can’t you see that?!  The very fact that we all have a chance to learn and raise ourselves up, to rise like the mythical phoenix and light up the sky with our magnificent flames.  Now, imagine if we didn’t have problems and challenges, if we did not have this nagging and negative voice telling us to quit every time some obstacle comes up in our path.  Could we then become better and feel great strength and bliss when we keep going despite obstacles…??  If you meditate about it and think with logic, then you’ll find that the answer to the question is no.  Wisdom and higher intelligence, the greater heart and persona you are cannot be discovered without this voice, without this duality in life.

     So, whenever you feel confused and overwhelmed, anxious and tensed with fear, just stop your racing mind and contemplate the seemingly weaker voice coming from the depths of your heart, the one telling you to keep going despite the challenges; there, you will also discover the wisdom or higher understanding you need in those difficult times, and since it is already in you then you will make your perspective and outlook in life a natural disposition to beauty and positive attitude.

     When you find and listen to this voice in your heart, and ignore the loud screams emerging from you fearful and violent mind  which darkens everything, you will feel in peace even in those treacherous times when rain pours and pours, not because you become naive and a positive freak, but because you are now more intelligent and strong–i.e. true and natural intelligence, as the strength to overcome every obstacle in life, comes from your heart and not from your mind or brain I.Q.

Understand this.  Remember it.  And become it.