Have you heard this story? There’s a man on the other side of the world
who lives in a tent with his large, extended family. This particular day, the
man is overwhelmed by the cramped quarters and goes to speak to an elder. The elder deeply listens and tells the man to
get a chicken and bring it inside with him.
The man finds this odd but gets a chicken because the elder is famous,
far and wide, for his wisdom. A week
later the man goes back to the elder and complains that the chicken, with all
its flapping, has only added to the chaos in the small tent. The elder silently nods and tells him to get
a puppy. Curious, the man does so, and soon becomes even more frustrated as the
puppy takes up space and also needs constant attention. He describes his nightmare to the elder who
then replies: “Hmm, what you really need is a donkey, if it’s inside with you,
everything will work out.” One more time, the man trusts in the elder and
follows directions. A few days later,
the tent is not only busting at the seams, it also stinks, and by the way, his
favorite slippers, the only true luxury he had left, were chewed to
pieces. The man goes outside for fresh
air and just then, the elder passes by.
“You see what’s going on here,” the
man exclaims incredulously.
“Perfect,” says the elder. “See me
in a week.”
The man, hoping the elder has
spotted something, counts the days until the flapping, nipping, stinking mess
ends. Nothing gets better. A week later the tent is a worse chaotic
muddle and the man shows up at the elder’s place hunched over in tears
completely disillusioned.
“I don’t understand,” he says.
“Good, says the elder,” cutting him
off before he can say anymore. “Now go home and return the animals.”
“I don’t understand,” the man keeps
mumbling as he mopes home.
A week later, he returns stuffed
with presents for the elder.
“It’s a miracle,” he rejoices. “It’s a miracle. My home is so much bigger and happy now.
Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!”
Perhaps this is what I’ve been
writing about this season: The Master’s Touch, All I Need To Know I Learned
Canoeing, Hangin’ Out. It’s been about
the power of appreciating what is and, on a daily basis, loving what
arises.
I’ve come to realize, the things
that keep interfering with the wondrous state of peace and joy are those often
secretly ingrained expectations - the expectation for something different and/or
better. Remove the ‘should haves’ – I
should have, they should have, it should have…blah, blah, blah…and all that’s
left is appreciation…and deep love…and happiness.
I don’t have to get my way to be
happy, I just have to love what arises.
When I find I’ve got ‘dread head’-
thinking things should be different then they are- I now stop and calmly replace
them with this:
Thank
you.
I
love you.
Bless
you.
Thank you readers for supporting
the local businesses who support this paper so we guest writers have a forum.
Love and blessings to all.
Happy Thanksgiving!
