Yes, life gives a mixed bag. The content of this bag is rarely one dimensional, black or white. So how do you sort it all out? How do you live in a world that is so vast and so contradictory as ours? How to live when your understanding just can’t cover it all?
Even if you have a much smaller perspective life is still quite confusing. Why do I behave the way I do, why do others behave the way they do? Why did this happen? Etc etc.
How to deal with life? The eternal question.
Do you try to determine what is right and wrong from your limited perspective? Do you guess how things are when you don’t really know? Or do you simply make decision how it is? Do you judge, condemn, try to change others to think like you?
You’re in for some big fights.
Or do you live with constant confusion and uncertainty? One day feeling one way and another way the next? Do you live with fear because you can’t control life? Do you feel powerless?
You’re in for a roller coaster ride.
Both ways will leave you exhausted.
What to do then?
Try to give it over! Give it all over and if you take it back give it over again.
How?
This is practical.
It’s easier if you have something you can relate to,something that is bigger than you but still feels personal. Why? Because you can then have a little conversation where you lay out your difficulties. (You can replace the word God below with anything that is a power greater than you and that you can relate to.)
I talk to God every day. I ask God to carry my burdens because they are simply too heavy for me alone and I have no way of knowing how to solve my problems. I ask God to help others solve their problems because I can’t solve it for them.
I tell God: “You know my heart, you know where it’s hardened, you know where it’s soft, you know where it’s murky, you know its joy. I give my heart to you, all of it. Here, take it. I give it over.”
I tell God I’m clueless. I tell God what my dreams are.
I give everything over to God. Even love and joy. My heart is not my property! I just happen to carry it. I just happen to fill it, with useless things sometimes.
It’s hard to give things over because we are often attached to our problems, for various reasons. One reason being that it gives us great satisfaction if we can solve our problems ourselves. And that IS a great satisfaction.
But sometimes. It’s just good to give it over. To admit our confusion and our inability to fix things.
It’s hard to really give things over because the problem often comes jumping right back at you. Let’s say you worry about something that you can’t control. You talk to God and you tell God that you can’t solve this. You ask God to help you give it over, to manage it for you. If you succeeded in giving it over, you feel instant relief. But the worry often starts seeping in again.
Then give it over again. Over and over again. Until there is relief.
This doesn’t mean that you then sit back and do nothing about your or the world’s problems. No. This means more focus, more clarity and inspiration for action. It usually means that you have opened yourself up to see things differently and that you have opened yourself up to be led – by a power greater than yourself.
And sometimes, quite often actually, it means that at least your personal problems are instantly solved. Don't ask me how. I've just noticed that it happens.
God never forsakes one who has surrendered – Ramana Maharshi
Even if you have a much smaller perspective life is still quite confusing. Why do I behave the way I do, why do others behave the way they do? Why did this happen? Etc etc.
How to deal with life? The eternal question.
Do you try to determine what is right and wrong from your limited perspective? Do you guess how things are when you don’t really know? Or do you simply make decision how it is? Do you judge, condemn, try to change others to think like you?
You’re in for some big fights.
Or do you live with constant confusion and uncertainty? One day feeling one way and another way the next? Do you live with fear because you can’t control life? Do you feel powerless?
You’re in for a roller coaster ride.
Both ways will leave you exhausted.
What to do then?
Try to give it over! Give it all over and if you take it back give it over again.
How?
This is practical.
It’s easier if you have something you can relate to,something that is bigger than you but still feels personal. Why? Because you can then have a little conversation where you lay out your difficulties. (You can replace the word God below with anything that is a power greater than you and that you can relate to.)
I talk to God every day. I ask God to carry my burdens because they are simply too heavy for me alone and I have no way of knowing how to solve my problems. I ask God to help others solve their problems because I can’t solve it for them.
I tell God: “You know my heart, you know where it’s hardened, you know where it’s soft, you know where it’s murky, you know its joy. I give my heart to you, all of it. Here, take it. I give it over.”
I tell God I’m clueless. I tell God what my dreams are.
I give everything over to God. Even love and joy. My heart is not my property! I just happen to carry it. I just happen to fill it, with useless things sometimes.
It’s hard to give things over because we are often attached to our problems, for various reasons. One reason being that it gives us great satisfaction if we can solve our problems ourselves. And that IS a great satisfaction.
But sometimes. It’s just good to give it over. To admit our confusion and our inability to fix things.
It’s hard to really give things over because the problem often comes jumping right back at you. Let’s say you worry about something that you can’t control. You talk to God and you tell God that you can’t solve this. You ask God to help you give it over, to manage it for you. If you succeeded in giving it over, you feel instant relief. But the worry often starts seeping in again.
Then give it over again. Over and over again. Until there is relief.
This doesn’t mean that you then sit back and do nothing about your or the world’s problems. No. This means more focus, more clarity and inspiration for action. It usually means that you have opened yourself up to see things differently and that you have opened yourself up to be led – by a power greater than yourself.
And sometimes, quite often actually, it means that at least your personal problems are instantly solved. Don't ask me how. I've just noticed that it happens.
God never forsakes one who has surrendered – Ramana Maharshi
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