Something New or SOS?

I had a great time at The Journey Home to Essence book launch and celebration the other night. I so appreciate everyone who came out to play with me.

There was a particular comment/question from a fellow traveler that I wanted to talk about a bit in today's blog post. This individual brought up something that I know many of us have thought and felt over the years, especially those of us on a path of inquiry who are always looking for the truth or peace or happiness or whatever word you use to describe that which keeps calling you forward.

The sentiment expressed was about working with certain teachings and doing really well, having this awesome experience, kind of feeling like you've 'arrived'. There is peace, there is bliss, there is a rightness about everything in life; ah at last, this is it.

Then slowly but surely the peace starts to erode, the bliss is not so blissful, the awe gets tarnished and then before you know it you've left Nirvana. Irritability, frustration, unhappiness, inner and/or outer conflict arises. How can this be? I've done all the work, I've faithfully followed all the steps, it was going so well...

Why is this happening? What's going on? What has come into my life and disturbed my peace? It must be something new, surely it can't be the Some Old Stuff (SOS). I thought I dealt with my childhood issues. I thought I was past all that reactive stuff. Darn, all that work and it didn't work!

Take a breath, relax, it's OK. There isn't anything wrong and there isn't anything new. Doing the work whether it is the Liberation Process, the Work, meditation, yoga, prayer, therapy, affirmations or what have you doesn't mean that the patterns of our discontent, which seem to be embedded in our DNA, aren't going to come up again; these are tools to use for when they do.  The very idea that says 'I've already dealt with that so it can't be the some old stuff' is a falsehood that can bring up all kinds of resistance. It's ok that it's the same old stuff, the good news is that you don't have to figure it all out again and you probably have the tools you need to deal with it when it does come up, again.

I've noticed that when the SOS comes up for me it doesn't take long anymore to recognize it for the old pattern it really is and bring a compassionate and understanding energy to it so that it doesn't take over my life (at least not for long if it does get away on me a bit). As I said, it's ok, you're ok, this is life being life.

As the Masters of the Far East reminded us long ago, 'Before enlightenment, chop wood carry water; after enlightenment, chop wood carry water.'

Namaste