Instant Inner Freedom

We feel the pressure and pain of stress as we perceive the gap between what is and what we would love to have happen. We then seek relief by attempting to close the gap. The cycle never ends. In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was condemned to roll a huge rock up a hill in Hades only to have it repeatedly roll back down. This is a beautiful portrayal of the endless cycle that is woven into the fabric of human existence. We are briefly fulfilled only to have the cycle of desire followed by relief return to desire start all over again.

Pain causes us to seek relief and seeking relief causes more pain. Accepting our pain is the first step to true relief. The oyster transforms the painful grain of sand into a pearl by accepting and then wrapping the painful irritation in layers of soft tissue. By accepting our emotional pain, we transform it into the priceless pearl of peace.

Acceptance leads to peace. To accept whatever is happening in our life brings peace. Even accepting our hate of the situation and our wish to change it is a move toward liberation. The first step to peace is accepting what is without trying to change it. As we fully face the gap that leads to stress, we can take steps to close it.
In The Myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus describes how Sisyphus finds freedom, peace, and happiness by accepting his struggle:

". . . the lucidity that was to constitute his torture at the same time crowns his victory . . . The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy."

Like Sisyphus, we begin to find freedom, peace, and happiness as we accept the fact that each time we seem to successfully close the gap that gives rise to stress, it is only temporary. We must accept life as a creative struggle and just keep rolling the rock up the hill.

• Today, notice that some of the tension in your body is relieved as you accept that the process of desiring is endless. Just the recognition of the desire-satisfaction-desire cycle is liberating. Once we fulfill one desire another follows. The problem is in expecting some kind of final or lasting satisfaction. The rock never stays put on the top of the hill. Meditation (see blog posting Like the Morning Mist 5/7/10) can help us find freedom in being more conscious of the desires/feelings arising moment to moment and the choices we make of which desires to act on. Just take a few minutes to sit quietly somewhere. Turn off the phone. Lock the door to your office, or go to the park. Close your eyes, take some slow, deep breaths, relax, and simply watch and listen, see and hear, what desires (thoughts and feelings) arise in the spaciousness of your awareness. Parts of the above are taken from A Matter of Love. (See www.drsrj.com).