An Important Life Lesson

First published June 3, 2018

 

Rereading this old post,  and knowing in hindsight what came later for these actors, (the show was brought back WITHOUT Roseanne),  really drives home my point:  we never can know what’s going to happen.  Good often comes from bad,  and bad sometimes comes from good.  We can’t control everything.  In fact,  we can control very little.  So why worry? We can only deal with each issue as it presents itself.  (This is what is getting me through these dark days in our country.) — Adrienne, 8/5/19

 

As most of my American readers undoubtedly know,  the new Roseanne Show (a revival of the long-running hit sitcom which ran from 1988-1997) has been canceled after the star and creator, Roseanne Barr,  tweeted some hateful racist comments.  (It was hardly her first time.)   So hateful were her remarks, that not only did the network immediately cancel the new revival, but stations which, for decades, have been broadcasting the reruns of past seasons have pulled them off the air.  Financially speaking, that means the end of residuals (i.e. TV royalties) for those original cast members.

I’m not going to get into the politics of this however it does illustrate one of the themes of this project:  “Be careful what you wish for.”

While some of the original cast members have gone on to play great roles and garner professional acclaim (i.e. John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf) there are others who haven’t been seen much since the end of the first run.  Certainly, the cast members who re-upped with the new show were happy about its revival but I assume it must have been particularly great news for those who haven’t found much steady industry work these past few decades.

I can imagine some of them feeling overjoyed and relieved that they would finally be back in the saddle, making good money again.  But now, not only do they go back to whatever career (or lack thereof) they had before, but they have also lost the income stream from the old show.

***

One of the things I’ve learned from listening to these stories and writing this blog is that life unspools exactly as it was meant to, which is why it is pointless to get too excited or depressed about one’s fortunes in the moment.  What seems like incredible good news today might turn into a nightmare tomorrow; and what seems to be a disaster today might well turn out to be the best thing that ever happened. (I can personally think of plenty of times, in my own life, where that was the case.  I even find it to be true of current news cycles.) You really cannot know until the end, and even then, perhaps not.  Thus, it’s far less stressful to simply take things as they come,  gleaning from each moment whatever life lessons are offered.

I’m not suggesting that we should not savor the joy or that we should ignore our sadness. There is much value in both  I’m saying that it’s pointless to plan.  Happiness is not a state which magically manifests at some point in the future when a certain set of conditions are met.  And in pain, when it comes — as it inevitably does — there is growth  (Remember: shit is fertilizer!)

The secret to happiness is this:  learn to be happy twenty minutes at a time.  Before you know it,  you will have been happy for an hour, then a day, then a week, then months and years.  The more happy moments you can string together,  the happier life will be.

As they say in Yiddish,  “Mann tracht, un Gott lacht”  (Man plans, and God laughs)

——————
Buy the book!

If you are enjoying this blog,  please click the link above to subscribe and receive posts via email (new posts every three days).  When you think of others who might enjoy it too,  it’s easy enough to help spread the word! Post your favorite stories to social media.   Email a particularly apt link to a friend.   Even better,  talk about the concepts with others (whether you agree or disagree. )

Also,  I have just started a discussion group on Facebook,  for conversations about any of the concepts/issues in the posts.  Honestly, these are things in here which I don’t fully understand myself.  I would love  get your thoughts on this…even if you think this is all a bunch of hooey!

-A

The Case of the Missing Drishti

As my regular readers probably have noticed, I haven’t been posting any new narrators.  I am really missing being able to channel.  It requires at least an hour of intense focus/mind clearing which I’ve been finding extremely difficult these past 6-8 months or so, given the big move.  Life is still a chaotic mess (slowly unpacking boxes as hubby finishes our built-ins. He’s doing an amazing job but it’s time-consuming. My office desk and bookcases were only finished this week. My fabulous day bed is still in pieces in the garage so I have no place to sit and chill.)  And of course, one would have to be brain dead not to feel anxious and distracted by our current political situation.  These days, I have the attention span of a fruit fly, my thoughts fluttering about and rarely landing on any one thing long enough to extract meaning or delve to any depth.  (Except politically, where all my thoughts tend to roll, like loose marbles in a tilted box.)

This is a Catch-22 source of anxiety for me, because even when I find myself able to focus on my drishti for 30 seconds,  I immediately start to worry that I’m not going to be able to hold my focus. Or I think,  “Hey!  Look at me!  I’m focusing!”  And that destroys my focus.  (It’s like when you can’t sleep and you finally feel yourself drifting off and a part of your waking brain thinks, “Yay! I’m falling asleep!”  and that wakes you right up again.)

But I think I have finally turned a corner.  A new “friend” has come into my head to help me.  I would not deny that this entity is a figment of my imagination,  but as long as I can attribute certain qualities to it,  it seems to be helping.   The form of this entity is a general outline of a human body but within the outline,  I can see beyond it into the universe.  Emanating from the outline, is a sort of halo…. rather like this:

This entity has the persona of a coach.  Together we do this exercise where it pushes positive white energy at me,  which I inhale deeply and allow it to course through my body,  and then slowly return the energy back.  This mimics yogic breathing,  with the long inhale,  a long hold,  slow exhale, long hold when empty.  If I start to mentally drift away, the entity scolds me lovingly. “Hey!  Focus! Look at me! Come on!  Three more times! You can do this!”

I asked this entity its name and it said it didn’t have one; I could call it anything I liked.  Then it said, “How about Truman, because you can look ‘tru’  me.” (It’s funny, too!)   And I said, “And you also give me Truth.”  So we agreed that name was as good as any other.

It’s been a couple of days and Truman’s coaching has really helped.  Hopefully this will bring me back to channeling.

Again,  I fully recognize this is a creation of my own imagination — I haven’t fully lost my mind… yet — but it’s helping so I’m going with it.   I’ve also ratcheted back on social media.  It just jacks my nervous system. Keeps me from my happy place.  🙂

An Important Life Lesson

 

As most of my American readers undoubtedly know,  the new Roseanne Show (a revival of the long-running hit sitcom which ran from 1988-1997) has been canceled after the star and creator, Roseanne Barr,  tweeted some hateful racist comments.  (It was hardly her first time.)   So hateful were her remarks, that not only did the network immediately cancel the new revival, but stations which, for decades, have been broadcasting the reruns of past seasons have pulled them off the air.  Financially speaking, that means the end of residuals (i.e. TV royalties) for those original cast members.

I’m not going to get into the politics of this however it does illustrate one of the themes of this project:  “Be careful what you wish for.”

While some of the original cast members have gone on to play great roles and garner professional acclaim (i.e. John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf) there are others who haven’t been seen much since the end of the first run.  Certainly, the cast members who re-upped with the new show were happy about its revival but I assume it must have been particularly great news for those who haven’t found much steady industry work these past few decades.

I can imagine some of them feeling overjoyed and relieved that they would finally be back in the saddle, making good money again.  But now, not only do they go back to whatever career (or lack thereof) they had before, but they have also lost the income stream from the old show.

***

One of the things I’ve learned from listening to these stories and writing this blog is that life unspools exactly as it was meant to, which is why it is pointless to get too excited or depressed about one’s fortunes in the moment.  What seems like incredible good news today might turn into a nightmare tomorrow; and what seems to be a disaster today might well turn out to be the best thing that ever happened. (I can personally think of plenty of times, in my own life, where that was the case.  I even find it to be true of current news cycles.) You really cannot know until the end, and even then, perhaps not.  Thus, it’s far less stressful to simply take things as they come,  gleaning from each moment whatever life lessons are offered.

 

I’m not suggesting that we should not savor the joy or that we should ignore our sadness. There is much value in both  I’m saying that it’s pointless to plan.  Happiness is not a state which magically manifests at some point in the future when a certain set of conditions are met.  And in pain, when it comes — as it inevitably does — there is growth  (Remember: shit is fertilizer!)

 

The secret to happiness is this:  learn to be happy twenty minutes at a time.  Before you know it,  you will have been happy for an hour, then a day, then a week, then months and years.  The more happy moments you can string together,  the happier life will be.

As they say in Yiddish,  “Mann tracht, un Gott lacht”  (Man plans, and God laughs)

——————
Buy the book!

If you are enjoying this blog,  please click the link above to subscribe and receive posts via email (new posts every three days).  When you think of others who might enjoy it too,  it’s easy enough to help spread the word! Post your favorite stories to social media.   Email a particularly apt link to a friend.   Even better,  talk about the concepts with others (whether you agree or disagree. )

Also,  I have just started a discussion group on Facebook,  for conversations about any of the concepts/issues in the posts.  Honestly, these are things in here which I don’t fully understand myself.  I would love  get your thoughts on this…even if you think this is all a bunch of hooey!

-A

A Quick Word from Ipo

 

New

Ipo

There is no use to worry. It sickens the soul.  Your path is as it was meant to be.  The lessons present themselves for the learning.  To suffer without understanding is to suffer double.

____

If you are enjoying this blog,  please click the link above to subscribe and receive posts via email (new posts every three days).  When you think of others who might enjoy it too,  it’s easy enough to help spread the word! Post your favorite stories to social media.   Email a particularly apt link to a friend.   Even better,  talk about the concepts with others (whether you agree or disagree. )

Also,  I have started a discussion group on Facebook,  for conversations about any of the concepts/issues in the posts.  Honestly, these are things in here which I don’t fully understand myself.  I would love  get your thoughts on this…even if you think this is all a bunch of hooey!