The last post was centred around the idea of equanimity. Being okay with what is. Whatever that is. A spacious awareness; an open, non-judgmental observing. The practice of mindfulness is all about this liberating attitude. A reorientation, a shift in the way we relate to and react to things.
It brings to mind words like acceptance, letting go, surrender.
To some, these words can be startling. A few questions often arise here:
Does this mean indifference? Does equanimity mean passivity? Does mindfulness equal being a spineless pushover? Whatever will be, will be? Even if it’s bad? Unjust? Do we just let life happen to us?
Here’s the way I see it (and seeing it this way has been a game-changer):
The difference lies in the heart. A softening on the inside. On the outside, things might look the same. But inside, the landscape has changed. And since inside is where we experience pain, this shift makes all the difference.
Other observations…
It’s kind of a paradox. When we finally learn to accept, change happens.
And where is the change happening anyway? Where is the problem happening?
More often than not, it’s about inner change. And when we change in here, all of a sudden, out there changes too. Funny how that works 😉
We may find there is less of a need to take action out there, because the root of the problem was in here, created by us (or thoughts).
Or, we may still take action (for justice, for the environment, for creating the life we want), but when we do, it comes from a place of peace, rather than anger and resistance. And that is more effective and more powerful. (That’s why great leaders like Martin Luther King always acted from a place of love, not hate.)
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What are your observations on this paradox? Let’s compare notes. I find this stuff fascinating and I’d love to read them in the comments.