Day 309/366 days Towards Self-Mastery.
"You must be how you want to be, but you must do what needs to be done." This pearl of wisdom I heard recently by Sadhguru. It made so much sense.
"You must be how you want to be." That we are able to decide if we are conscious enough to be present and aware of how we are feeling, how we are reacting and responding in every situation. This wisdom inspires us to be in control of our choices. It teaches us that we are the only person who can decide how we want to be. It reminds us that whilst we may be triggered from time to time by others, it is not others who make us feel a certain way, it is our choice whether by being unconscious or by not attending to our inner work.
It is easier to be able to make the choices for how we want to be by being present and aware of the obstacles that we have inside us that trigger us into misery.
I want to be at ease, blissful, joyful as a way of life. That is my business. And it is yours. I achieve this by attending to every single trigger. I want to know the what, where, how, when and why of every single trigger that surfaces. This way I get to resolve it so that it is less likely to trigger again. In this way I have created my bliss.
"... but you must do what needs to be done." Here we are reminded that whatever the situation, we are to do what needs to be done.
At this time of the pandemic COVID, there are many people who's lives have been disrupted, upended, disturbed. Some have lost jobs, have to work from home, adjusting roles, worrying about income and how they will meet the mortgage and pay the bills.
"You must do what needs to be done."
After the initial panic buying, many people immediately began to grow their own food. In my community the seed banks soon ran out of seeds and the gardening supply stores went to a whole new level of business. People decided that what had to be done was to begin to secure their food supply for the future. Local groups have sprung up to share produce, seeds and seedlings, and gardening know-how.
People naturally turning to do what has to be done. We can take the example of our ancestors through the ages - the war times, the Great Depression. Times when families grew a good portion of the food for the nation in their back yards.
"You must be how you want to be, and do what needs to be done."
When you are present and aware you become tuned into your needs and into the cycles of life. You are able to be how you want to be, and do what needs to be done with little disruption to your emotional state. You are an inspiration and anchor to those around you. Your stability inspires others. Your core is strong, you are steady and consistent.
For me, tending my garden brings that steadiness. It connects me to the rhythms of nature that impact my body, my food and my neighbourhood. My garden cycles through the seasons. I know what's coming next. At present it is in the early stages, but in time it will be self-sustaining. Vegetable seeds in the soil, fallen from last season platings will sprout as their timing dictates, trees will fruit with divine juiciness for summer sustenance, tubers will grow and produce sweet starches for the winter months.
Some 25 years ago my wake up call came and I realised the vulnerability of the lifestyle that I was living. It became obvious to me that one small incident could mean the end of my home, my income and my livelihood. At that time I lived on the slopes of a fault line that would often rumble as the earth shook beneath its feet. If you've ever experienced earthquakes you'll understand what it feels like when I say, "the house was stamping its feet!".
What needed to be done was to change my lifestyle to build in more stability. In the aftermath of the GFC, dependent on my income alone, and responsible for a small child, I realised that I needed to make some hard decisions that probably wouldn't lead me to the ideals I had for my future. Those decisions have paid off many times over and continue to be paying off now. Those decisions were way better than the insurance that I had for my home and income.
My life has been steady, reliable and consistent. I've supported my family on very little and we have wanted for nothing. There is no waste in our lives, we live authentically with the health and well-being of ourselves and the earth that provides for us in mind.
You will never regret doing what has to be done. You will regret trying to hang onto something that no longer serves you.
Know your own style or life and the talents that you bring, and do what needs to be done.
Whether it's growing your own food, downsizing, cashing up, reducing debt, settling for less, selling surplus items, decluttering/consolidating your debt accounts, right-sizing your cars and your home, negotiating your rent and payment plans, arranging local buying groups, connecting with neighbours and sharing resources, do what needs to be done and free up your life and your health to be more sustainable.
366 days Towards Self-Mastery
When I considered my New Year's intentions for 2020 I had just one: To allow my heart to love what it loved...and let it lead me. (If not now, then when?)
I've spent months working on integrating my life. To live life more fully with my home life, my interests, my work, my responsibilities, all coming together, all connected. I want to give each the attention that they desire and need, and still have time and energy for the others. That means living and working from the heart.
As I was clearing out my bookshelf over the Christmas break I discovered Simple Abundance. I set it aside to explore it on New Year's Day as I lazed through another delicious day of nothingness. Sarah, the author, says this book is about living in grace. Living in grace I realised, is about Self-Mastery.
My thirst for understanding the human condition has driven me all my life, and hand-in-hand with self-mastery it has been a life-long goal. And seeing as I love to write, that living in grace is about self-mastery, and I love a bit of a challenge, then if I am truly going to let my heart lead, I really don't have any other choice. So scary as it feels, I'm starting out on a daily mission of leaning into the suggestions of this daybook and making a daily post to keep me accountable. If not now, then when?
I'm Josie. You can find out a little more about me here.
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy: by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
This book is written for the Australian and NZ market because it refers to seasonal changes. It's available on Amazon here if you'd like to follow along.
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