LESSONS IN SURVIVAL in the DESERT
I've been stuck out here in Antelope Valley, taking care of my parents. I feel like the tribes of Israel wandering in the desert.
Recently I began to practice sculpting my reality. On Christmas Eve, I went to the small local organic grocery store to buy one item, Veganaise (vegan mayo.) I was heading toward the checkout when a woman with a basket of items beat me to the line. To be fair, she hadn’t noticed me right behind her. In fact, she never bothered to turn around and see me in line holding one item. But I was pissed off, mumbling that she should let me go ahead of her. I was being passive-aggressive so of course I didn't ask the woman if I could go ahead of her in line; I prefered to fume. I was in a hurry to get home to wrap gifts for my son.
I've been stuck out here in Antelope Valley, taking care of my parents. I feel like the tribes of Israel wandering in the desert.
Recently I began to practice sculpting my reality. On Christmas Eve, I went to the small local organic grocery store to buy one item, Veganaise (vegan mayo.) I was heading toward the checkout when a woman with a basket of items beat me to the line. To be fair, she hadn’t noticed me right behind her. In fact, she never bothered to turn around and see me in line holding one item. But I was pissed off, mumbling that she should let me go ahead of her. I was being passive-aggressive so of course I didn't ask the woman if I could go ahead of her in line; I prefered to fume. I was in a hurry to get home to wrap gifts for my son.
Standing behind this woman in line, I suddenly remembered to shift from being ‘selfish and self-centered’ to being
‘of love and service.’ After all, why should I project bad motives onto this
woman? I didn't know her story. Maybe she had sick kids at home; maybe she had a death in the family; maybe she was a zombie, walking around unconscious during the holiday season. And how could she read my
mind if she never even noticed me?
So
I reached for the highest thought I could come up with about the woman, and my
anger immediately softened. As I stared at the back of her head, I noticed
that she was shaking with what looked like Parkinson’s disease. My heart melted
and I silently reached out to her in love. I poured out love to her.
AND like clockwork, at that EXACT moment she turned to me and said, "Sweetheart, you go ahead of me. I
forgot to get something else I need." And she left the line.
Something
similar happened on two other occasions that week. I kept
"letting go" of my own selfish anxiety and the minute I did, the
parking spot opened up, and a career door opened or the very thing I wanted came to me. Life is a circle.
"Your thoughts should feel like your friends."
"Your thoughts should feel like your friends."