As we become older, wiser and fiercer, we learn to accept that even in our awakened state, we are still not calling the shots. This turns out to be a good thing. Only by admitting to the crumbling of the illusion of our mastery and taking into account what we now know to be the truth about our own and human nature can we begin the critical work of providing a stronger basis upon which a more authentic relationship to life can be built.
When we give up trying to control our outcomes, here’s where the real work of conscious aging begins. First, we renounce our thoughts, our patterns, our addictions. These may not be so easily dismissed, but they can with practice increasingly come to be witnessed rather than engaged.
Seeing the stories that once conscribed our lives for what they are, we admit to the whole truth. We are far more capable, loveable and knowledgeable than we gave ourselves credit for. We are—each and every one of us—mad, glorious, passionately alive spirits who are called to celebrate that we have what it takes to have come this far.
Regardless of our circumstances, we can tender compassion to ourselves—our loveable essence. Then what? You trust yourself, trust God, to do what comes spontaneously. Maybe just pause—that’s a choice, too. Allowing presence to hold and heal you for as long as it takes.
We are always free to make a better choice. But ultimately, one finds that the choice is not happiness versus unhappiness, but rather choosing to live in as meaningful a way as possible, come what may.
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