by Karyn Stirling
www.karynstirling.ca
One morning I awoke from a dream with these words impressed on my mind…
In silence you find me, I AM PEACE. In peace you live me, I AM LOVE. In love you know me, ALL I AM.
“Silence is difficult and arduous; it is not to be played with. It isn’t something that you can experience by reading a book, or by listening to a talk, or by sitting together, or by retiring into a wood or a monastery. I am afraid none of these things will bring about this silence. This silence demands intense psychological work – you have to be burningly aware of your snobbishness, aware of your fears, your anxieties, and your sense of guilt – and when you die to all that, then out of that dying comes the beauty of silence.” ~Jiddu Krishnamurti
From the moment our alarm clocks jolt us out of bed in the morning into the flurry of the day’s tasks and demands, until we disengage from our work and devices and lay back down to sleep, modern life is loud, chaotic and frenzied – the antithesis of peace of mind. Stress, overwhelm, anxiousness and fear are abound, and the chronic illnesses we suffer as a result have become an accepted and customary part of life and death – so much of our time, energy and resources go towards “managing” these states of being. We no longer have a health care system – it has become an Industry.
“Before you heal someone, ask him if he’s willing to give up the things that make him sick.” ~Hippocrates
This busyness keeps us trapped in dis-ease and drama – focused on the external world (and others) as the source of our problems (or happiness) – preventing us from entering silence. Silence, as described above by Krishnamurti, invites us to honestly and deeply examine our character and state of being – to become acutely aware of the unconscious belief systems, emotions, coping habits and motivations that drive our behavior – individually and collectively. As we begin to see ourselves more clearly, we come to know the beauty of silence and find PEACE.
In peace you live me I AM LOVE.
“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” ~Dr. Seuss
There is a reason why the road is less travelled – the work is sobering, humbling, painful and solitary. Not to mention unpredictable and abstract. There are no worldly rewards or recognition for it, and at times just the opposite. But the benefits of discovering who we truly are outweigh the discomfort – health and well-being return, and life takes on a whole new meaning with greater clarity and purpose.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.” ~Marianne Williamson
So pack your sense of humor – the work is serious, but it doesn’t have to be a drag. And leave your armor at home – vulnerability is your new super power. The world truly is a stage and we the players upon it… let’s make it a night to remember!
In love you know me ALL I AM.