Everything is an illusion, you and me, cars and mushrooms, death and happiness. There is not one reality, there is yours and mine, those for today and here and tomorrow and there. We live essentially at zero energy, zero time, and zero distance; or we live at infinite energy, infinite time, and infinite distance….it is all a matter of perspective. We are both ants and galaxies. Mt. Everest is nearly void save a bunch of tiny vibrating strings of energy.
The glass is half full and it is half empty and it is not there and it is filling and it is draining. So much of the baggage and mental anguish that we experience on a daily basis, year after year is a matter of perspective, a matter of chemical processes, a matter of faith and strength and love. Hunger exists, as do broken toes, bankruptcy and diabetes. Finding meaning and peace in a war zone is going to generally be much tougher than in sunny Malibu. But, it is precisely in those disgraceful war zones that I find the strength to fight back against the seemingly real threats of depression, futility, and worry. The hopeful act of a child going to school in Syria or a financially strapped citizen of the world donating money to someone they see as even more in need allows me to become a better, happier person.
Freedom fighter or terrorist? Revolutionary patriot or subversive? Opportunity or threat? Challenge, re-evaluate, dare to hope, grow, accept responsibility, dream, go bowling, take a nap, give away lots of things, take a different route home, buy your daughter flowers, write a letter on paper, refuse to accept pain and defeat, cultivate gratitude, volunteer, read more, turn off the news, listen to music with the lights out, study a new subject, there are so, so many ways to live. There are so many ways to combat depression and insomnia, to battle cancer and hopelessness, to grow wealth and happiness and companionship. Is my sad life making me sick or is my sick life making me sad, or could I try to really see my life as neither sad nor sick? And would this be the same as realizing that it is joyous and healthy? When I wake up in the middle of the night with my mind racing I choose to go through all the things I have to be grateful for and I can sometimes fall back asleep. Nothing changed, just the illusion of anxiety being pushed out of the way and replaced with a warm sense of gratitude. Maybe there is no need to worry or be upset or panic. Why not live that way, it seems as valid as any other.
