Attachment to Beliefs

There is so much attachment to some beliefs and assumptions that sometimes it can seem quite impossible to even attempt to question them. Well, most people don't even try really but for those who are looking to see beyond the veil of illusion it can be quite a challenge.



I've noticed that those who have the most difficulty with seeing through their beliefs are those whose self-identity is excessively outer focused, in other words, totally dependent on how they think the world sees them. When there is little or no inward focused sense of identity the very thought of deeply held beliefs being false seems to be so threatening that it just bounces right off. I find this quite fascinating really and have been pondering why that might be.

I could speculate that it may have something to do with some core idea that either there isn't anything there to identify with or that whatever is there is so bad or wrong somehow that it must not be revealed. It could also simply be that it is not their path to dismantle those illusions, who knows?

The real question for me however is how I respond to it when I meet someone who has come to me for coaching to help them deal with life in a more effective way and this is what I encounter. It's always about how we respond to what life presents us isn't it? All I know to do is the best I can and to be compassionate toward both them and myself in the process. It is what it is. I don't really know why, I can only speculate which is making more assumptions which is all part of the illusion. So what I wrote in the last paragraph, fun to play with but not the truth. The truth is I don't know. There I rest and carry on with my day with appreciation for the experience.

Namaste

Dragonflies

Have you noticed how many dragonflies there are this year? I heard the City of Edmonton had released a bunch to help control the mosquito population but we were out at Beaverhill yesterday and there were an unusually large number of them there as well.

I'm quite fascinated with dragonflies these day with them being my symbol of choice and all. One of the symbolic meanings of the dragonfly is dispelling self-created illusions which is what so much of my work is about. As I was pondering why there were so many dragonflies this year it occurred to me that, of course, the conditions have been perfect for them to propagate this year with all the rain we've had.

Did you know that dragonflies start life out as water bugs? Then at some point an inner calling directs them to climb up the reeds that grow in ponds and marshes and once out of the water they dry and eventually those beautiful iridescent wings spread and off they go on dragonfly adventures. The fact that they eat mosquitoes is one of the reasons we love them so much along with their beauty and grace.

OK so I can't help but appreciate the fabulous metaphysics in all this. When the conditions are right for us we too climb out of our wet little ponds of self identity and eventually learn to fly when we are no longer encumbered by the beliefs that keep us mired in the swamps. We can not only learn to fly  but we can also learn to allow those pesky memories (mosquitoes) to be nurturing food for the soul instead of seeing them as annoyances we just want to get rid of. So perfect!

I love metaphor!

Namaste