The Power of Softness and Effortlessness
We all want success, fame, money, happiness, peace, love, and so on—many positive feelings and outcomes in our lives. Yet, most of us don’t know how to carry them.
I am learning the power of softness and effortlessness... by seeing it... witnessing how softness and effortlessness, but never giving up, with allowing oneself to rest and catch a breath, and doing things without forcing, can make such a difference... I am learning by seeing...
This is what my morning meditation brought to me today... I want to be a person who knows how to carry happiness. We all want success, fame, money, happiness, peace, love, and so on—many positive feelings and outcomes in our lives. Yet, most of us don’t know how to carry them. Somewhere deep inside, our mind plays tricks on us. It tells us we don't deserve it. It tells us, "With all the evil in the world, who are you to talk about being peaceful and happy? Who are you to think you're worthy of love?" Everyone's story is different, but the inner voice that suppresses us is very similar. Not every betrayal is easily forgiven, of course, but the hardest to forgive is the betrayal of oneself. And many of us aren't even aware of it.
So what should we do then? We should first learn how to carry all those positive things we want. Where and how do we start? By confronting ourselves. By facing both our good and bad, our light and darkness, without running away, even if it's scary. This is the cornerstone of the journey: facing and accepting. Being honest with yourself and wanting to change. So, how do I heal myself then? First of all, therapy, but it’s not enough on its own, and it’s a long process. And there is pain. But afterwards, there is goodness, and afterwards, there is beauty.
What do I do? Whenever I can, I go swimming or into the forest. Being in the water or surrounded by greenery is the best meditation for me. On days when I can, I try to do a half-hour yoga session with Yoga with Adriene. My body asks for that half hour. Even 10 minutes is enough, actually. I try to meditate, morning and/or evening. Sometimes with Tara Brach, sometimes with Joe Dispenza. Lately, I’ve been doing this the most.
I write my morning pages without fail every morning. If you’re wondering what that is, I recommend reading Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. I am someone who writes whenever I find the time, but I’ve noticed that doing it every day and following certain exercises makes a difference.
And most importantly, except for the morning pages (every morning, I make sure to write three pages), I don’t force myself to do anything regarding this well-being process. Doing all of this requires a serious commitment, but I try to ensure there is some movement or sport in my life every day. Sometimes I take a day off, but it's important not to extend these breaks too long. Eventually, both your body and your soul start begging you—feed me, get up and walk, go to nature, go swim, do yoga because your back hurts, you're complaining about someone in your head again, sit and meditate.
But this period, in particular, has brought me a sense of calm. A need to retreat into my shell. To turn down the noise a bit and hear my own voice, and as I hear it, to listen even more. That voice tells me what I want, what I need. And I try, as much as I can, to give myself what I need. Who am I? What do I want? Where did I come from? Where am I going? Without forcing, slowly.
There is no ultimate goal; this is a journey. There is no perfection. It's not always easy to separate the narratives of modern life, which use people, from your personal well-being. Yes, everything is our responsibility, but there is also a universal morality, both individually and socially. Not everything is our fault all the time. Sometimes the world and people are immoral, but it's also our responsibility not to hide behind these and keep complaining. While the world burns, we have to be well. Only then can we do any good for someone else, for the world.