I’m now on…
Chapter Nine of The Power of Now. Page 152 talks about the cycles of gain and loss that we all experience in our lives.
Of course, everyone will define what gain and loss mean to them. Much like the idea of success, it is subjective.
Tolle describes it like this, “There are cycles of success, when things come to you and thrive, and cycles of failure, when they wither or disintegrate…”
Cycles in life are a given. Problems arise when we use these events/eras to define who we are. At the end of the day cycles are just the flow of life.
Trying to stay in one point of time, whether glorious or heartbreaking, is like pressing pause on a movie you are watching and going no further.
Yes, you know the beginning but you’re delaying the ending as well as depriving yourself of a new beginning.
It’s Okay to Need a Break
It’s okay to not be at peace, in the present moment, in a state of knowing or enlightenment at all times.
When beginning a practice of awareness and learning to be in the Now it can be mentally and physically exhausting.
Whatever cycle you are in at the moment can certainly affect your mood, however, it’s important to be aware of what you bring along with you on your journey.
When in a gain cycle (sounds like laundry) there is a danger of complacency. Gratitude will help you stay in the Now and see clearly what’s working and what might need changing.
A cycle of loss is best accompanied with a positive outlook because of the valuable lessons you will learn and the potential for growth.
Stopping when you need to check out and remind yourself that everything just is and that you can simply be is okay.
Or, if you feel the need to complain and be negative for a moment, that’s okay too. Then get yourself back on the road.
Holding On, Letting Go
You would think that out of sight out of mind, yes? The person, the situation, the environment, maybe, but not all the history and the emotions connected with the experience just go away. Why is that?
Well, you might think that your pain is just too much. That might be the case however, the pain comes from being stagnant. You have not allowed it to run its course.
If it’s big, really big, and you’ve tried to let it go. Or feel like it won’t let you go. It is because you are still identifying with your pain. It’s like holding on to the flu, an open wound, or a broken limb. Of course you want to heal.
If you hold on to a cycle of loss, then that cycle becomes what you call your life and everything that you experience will be filtered through that cycle. You can’t be in the past and present at the same time.
Not to mention that when you hold on to a cycle of loss, everything during that time will be grouped together. The painful experience along with any joyful events will be wiped from your memory.
You would think that good memories can’t be forgotten, but when tied to bad memories, they are not always able to be recovered.
You are not your pain.
Let it go.
The End Is Inevitable
There cannot be a beginning without an end.
Wherever you are, just be there or you might miss something awe inspiring, life-changing, or lifesaving.
Does it make sense to get to Disneyland and be sad because at the end of the day you will have to leave? Or be fretful in a new relationship because one way or another it will end?
The end is inevitable, but so is the beginning.
Cycles have a rhythm. When you are in the Now, you’re just going with the flow.
“The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Leave a Reply