Dear friends,
At the beginning of the week a good friend of mine shared this poem with me – by the ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu.
It’s been in my mind for the past few days so I thought I would share it with you…
Always we hope
Someone else has the answer
Some other place will be better,
Some other time it will all turn out.
This is it.
No one else has the answer
No other place will be better,
And it has already turned out.
At the center of your being
You have the answer,
You know who you are
And you know what you want.
There is no need
To run outside
For better seeing.
Nor to peer from a window.
Rather abide at the center of your being;
For the more you leave it, the less you learn.
Search your heart
And see
The way to do
Is to be.
These three words “This is it” echoed in my mind all week as a powerful reminder.
It may be painful. It may be joyful. It may be fun. It may be sad. It may be frustrating. It may be lonely. It may be beautiful. It may be boring. But… this IS it.
So let’s enjoy it. Notice it. Learn from it. Sit with it. Allow it. Be curious about it. There’s no point spending hours actively wishing it away – it is here whether we like it nor not so let’s work with it rather than against it.
What’s more, for better or for worse, we can rest assured that the next moment will be different, it will be a change from this one. There is comfort is this reality too.
It’s often seen as a cliche but it is simply a fact of life. We are only alive now. And with all its pain, frustrations, pleasures and joy – being alive now is a wonderful mystery to be explored – whatever is going on in our experience.
Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean we can’t aspire to creating change, making plans and pursuing dreams of new activities, jobs, places, people – around which we may feel happier and more fulfilled.
But let’s remember that in order to get there, we have to start taking action from where we are now and what we have here – experiencing every step of the way.
So next time you notice yourself lost in thoughts that this moment “should be different” or that life “may be better elsewhere”, take a pause and remind yourself … “This is it”.
Wishing us all deep IS-NESS….
Thank you for your comment Suzie! Yes indeed – more IS-NESS is definitely needed in the world – although arguable IS-NESS is already there… if we pay attention 🙂 x
Dear Claire, thank you so much for sharing this beautiful poem and for your great encouraging words. Have a wonderful year and I hope to see you again. Love Vlasta
Dear Vlasta, how lovely to hear from you! And really nice to hear you also enjoyed the poem. It’s a great reminder isn’t it! I also hope to see you again. Are you still in Cambridge? I hope to run alot more workshops this year! Take care, Claire x