Zen Wisdom for Your Everyday Life

Many of us fear change, because we experience it as loss. We do all we can to keep our world stable, secure, and as we want it to be. Most of our time is guarding against change, fighting and refusing it. But the truth is that life itself is constant change. It is growth, discovery, and the precious unfolding of who we are. Change is the way we learn and ripen. To fight change, to judge ourselves as failures if things don't go our way is a cause of great suffering.  A better way is to say Yes to change, to see each moment as a "wonder",  and to enter the flow of what is going on.

We are driven by the need to be right, not wrong. And many of the conflicts in our relationships are caused by this, as well.  When a difference of any kind arises, we immediately insist that we are right, the other is wrong. These labels cover the larger truth of the matter, as we enter into conflict, anger and often loss. There is another way to handle this. Realize that we are all both right and wrong all the time. And that both can also be right at the same time. Give up these labels and learn to truly listen to the person you are with. And to yourself as well.  As we give space to ourselves, listen to all that is going on, a larger point of view arises, along with compassion. We also see the real person who is in front of us, what they need and are trying to say. So:   Let The Other Be Right. You can always be right later. Make space for the other to express themselves without opposition. And make space for you to do that as well. This is the basis of all true relationships and of a friendship that can only grow and grow.

So much of our lives are filled with questions that have no answer. We go around and around in our mind trying to figure everything out. These questions about ourselves, others, what will happen, and what's the best road to take, plague us endlessly. They prevent us from being present for what's going on and fully experiencing our lives. In fact the questions create so much confusion, they actually lead us in the wrong direction. Without doubt, there is another way to receive the clarity and insight so many of us are longing for.  To begin it's always with us, waiting to be revealed. It is so important to  stop trying to figure everything out rationally, and to open our minds and hearts so that our deeper truths can come to the surface and guide us all by themselves.

No matter what's going on, how we see the event or person,  determines what they becomes to us. We can find that which is devastating about them and ties us in knots.  Or, we can let go of opposing and rejecting what's going  on,  and experience each moment fully, just as it is. When we do that we make room for things to change and flow.  As we let go, so do others we're in contact with. As we open our minds and hearts to what is happening,  we gain a different perspective as well. Suddenly, we are able to see the beauty, the fun and all possibilities that each moment and person holds. This new insight comes from letting go of clinging to our demands, beliefs and expectations about how everything is "supposed" to be. As things then change and flow, they naturally reveal all the goodness and beauty within.

We're all looking for thrills and chills as we go through life. Our ordinary everyday life seems too simple, dull and repetetive.  To make life special we feel we have to jazz things up, create dazzling goals, become someone special, receive all kinds of acclaim. Or else we've failed, missed our chance. Zen practice shows us just the opposite. Every day, just as it comes and as it goes, is extremely precious. As we attend to it, stop trying to twist it into something else, and honor the moment just as it is, something beautiful happens. We see the uniqueness in every moment and every person who comes our way. We also see that nothing at all is repetetive.  It is only our lack of attention to what happens, that makes it seem as though the same old thing  happens again and again. It does not and cannot. And even our illusion of being "stuck" is only an illusion. Who we are and what is going on is constant change.

We live most of our lives surrounded by Dire Predictions, a snowstorm is on the way, huge winds, dangerous conditiions. And, then, before we know it, the snow has turned to light rain and the sun begins breaking through. Dire predictions come from all directions regarding most aspects of our lives. When we focus upon them, believe them, guard against them all day long, our lives are tangled in fear and pain. When we stay with things as they are, feel them, enjoy them,  become engaged with what the moment brings, gratitude, happiness and also compassion bubbles up. Life brings us what is needed, one moment after the next, including natural insight which allows us to do what is needed,  appropriate, and what is beneficial for all.

How many of us can really allow ourselves to really live, feel the sun, hear our neighbor, be present and available to all that arrives. This is actually a great art, and in order to do it, we must learn the great secret of "Allowing". It is rare that we allow anything to happen, just as it does. Immediately, we want to fix it, judge it, take control of it, whether it is an event or a relationship. The problem is that we are simply reacting out of our conditioning, rather than having a larger perspective on all that's going on. When we can stop a few moments, stop fighting and opposing things, not get pulled in to the dance, that pause is the start of allowing. The more we simply allow life to be life, the more our perspective changes and we become able to respond appropriately. All action taken then will come from a totally different place, and inevitably be benefifical to all.

We are always waiting for something to happen to make things right. There's usually something missing in what's going on right now. We want it to turnout differenly and won't stop until it does. There's a picture in our mind of how everything is supposed to go. Most of us refuse to feel satisfied until our picture is fulfilled. Then we'll feel as if we've won, worthwhile.  But life has its own ideas about what must happen, and the conflict between our pictures and those that life presents ties us in a knot. It takes our joy away, fills us with trepidatioin and does not allow us to see the incredible beauty and wisdom in  the way of life  Once we stop battling and opposing life, we can pause and see what's really happening,  discover our true role, and become able to move forward with unexpected happiness.

We are not aware of how much we reject life. A gap takes place before we are willing to notice, engage with and accept what's going on. Often we just block things we don't like out. Or, our initial response is to judge what's taking place, filter it through our past experiences. Take a few steps away. It is rare to simply to be present for whatever the moment brings. And beyond that it is an act of wonder to learn how to actually fall in love with the life we are living now. Not the life we wanted, dreamt of or have been struggling so hard to make happen. What is needed to fall in love with what's going on right now? How can we engage with it fully and be filled with good will, no matter what?

True communication comes in many forms. So often we present an image of ourselves, play a role or speak to impress, or influence. This type of interaction causes division, not only within ourselves, but in our relationships. All long for true connection, to be seen, known and heard. And how is that possible, when we are not  interacting simply and diretly from the truth of who we are.  Yet, no matter what we say, the truth of who we Are, presents itself naturally. When we align our words, truth and deeds, that is when our true life begins and also beautiful connections with the world.

We all wish each other a Happy New Year, and mean it. But what does it mean to be truly happy?? Usually we think it includes lots of laughs and smiles, a happy face and demeanor. Certainly, it is a pleasure to feel that way, but how long does a feeling like that last? It comes and goes due to circumstances. When things go our way, the smiles appear, when a sudden thunder storm comes, our smiles disappear. Yet, there is a way to live a Truly Happy Live, a way to greet whatever arises with a feeling of wonder, aliveness and engagement. When we can truly savor the preciousness of our lives, of each moment and encounter, and encounter it fully, this is a life not only of true happiness, but immebaw value and growth.

Even though everyday is new,  we drag the old along with us wherever we go.  Then, longing for a new start, we look for it everywhere. Some move to  a new neighborhood or relationship, profession, even new haircut.. As we approach the new year, we reflect upon the year gone by and dwell upon how we want things to change. However, one thing we overlook, is that things change every moment. Every breath is fresh, every day is new. It's just us. We're not aware of it, but cling to things gone by.  Change is not difficult. It can come so easily with this one secret: For the New Year To Be New, You Must Be New. Try letting go, and allowing the flow of life to make you New. Become aware of the freshness of each moment. And all the possibilities it holds.

We're always waiting for things to be fulfilled, for the job to be over,  for good news to arrive, or for our long wait to be over, for our needs to be met. As a  Zen Master saw his driven students, pushing and striving for results,  he always said to them, "Not Yet."  However much they strained and hoped,  he always simply shook his head and said,  "Not yet."  Some took this to mean they were failures, would never make the grade. But that's not it.  There's a wonderful secret to this remark, and once we discover it, so much pressure and futile efforting disappears on its own.  And to our amazement,  when we run into the Zen Master, he won't say Not Yet again.

Caught in our thoughts we feel that we know what's going on, and respond accordingly. Instead of paying precious attention to what's right in front of us, our attention is caught and trapped by our endless obsessions. What a pity. Our trapped attention hasn't a chance, can't breathe, live or even see the beautiful sun that is just waiting for peek out behind the clouds and warm the entire sky. If we don't see it, how can we receive the light and warmth? When asked what Zen practice truly is, a great teacher said, "Attention." The student answered, "That's all?" The Zen Master replied, "Attention, Attention, Attention." Reclaim your attention, really look and you will see the answer for yourself.

It's so easy to become upset when things don't work out our way. Many feel like failures, that no matter what they do, but life just proceeds as it wishes. Nothing to feel badly about. We do all we can and certainly can bring benefit, but let's take a moment and dwell upon the most significant koan, question of all. Ultimately,  Who's In Charge?  You are a visitor here and life will continue on in its own way, long after you have departed. What did you come here for? Just focus on that. Where are you headed? Offer what you can and don't dwell upon the outcome. That's not in your hands. 

We have so many expectations about what is going to happen, what needs to happen and how to manage everything. So many hours are spent planning how to navigate the twists and turns of life, to be ready for everything. Yet, most of the things we expected, don't happen. And what we don't expect arrives on its own. Our reactions to this dominate our life, anger, upset, immediately trying to change, fix or alter what's going on. We're so busy opposing and altering life as it comes, that we have little time to experience it directly. To fully taste and digest what's going on, to live life truly. When we are willing to stop listening to our frantic reactions and running around, simply sit still with all that's happening, meet it, know it directly, it no longer threatens us. As we make friends with life, it makes friends with us. And beyond that, to our great surprise we see that there is no need to manage everything, life has its own rhythm and order, and when we do not oppose it, it is entirely beneficial for all.

Thanksiving is here, a yearly time to remember, thank and reach out. But this practice is so powerful and central to our well being, our lives would turn around if we took a day or two each week, (or more) and gave thanks all day long.  Normally, our brains are wired to focus upon what is wrong, what's lacking and who did us harm. That seems to be our automatic reaction as we go through our days. And all the while, the opposite is true. There's always an abundance of gifts, warmth, love and nourishment available. We just can't see it, as we focus on the opposite. This year, with all the difficulty in the world, a great gift we can give to ourselves and others is to give thanks all day long. Give thanks to those you seldom recognize, and to moments that might have otherwise passed you by.  When we all do it together, a great wave of healing spreads over the land.

Where is God when I need Him?? This cry is heard so loudly these days and during times of trouble. Let's explore the feelings of abandonment, loss and the confusion we experience as things seem to go out of control. There is a secret answer which is here right where we stand and live. Especially at the kitchen table.  The problem is not that God is absent, it is us. We are not here. We're not available, connected, aware and ready to stand and act.  Let's explore ways not only of finding God with us in every moment of our lives. And also, let's take a look at what prevents it.

So many phrases we use are routine, casual, empty comments to daily questions. For example, how are you today? How's it going? Fine, fine. Really? How's what going? Nothing has really been asked, and no answer given. We hide behind words, slogans, easy responses, use them as a way to get by, to be accepted or admired. In this way we create our own confusion and rip the meaning out of our lives. The power of true communication is lost as is our natural clarity about what is truly happening and which way to go. There is a simple answer to this dilemma.. be still, enter the silence. The silence speaks loudly and has all the answers to whatever we need. Take time to listen to it; don't add decorations and comments on what it has to say.

Everyone wonders where to go, how to get to our destination. We try to figure out all the twists and turns in the road. So often there's a fork in the road, or our journey is not what we expected. As we figure out what to do, we lose touch with the very step itself. We're not right here experiencing the step, or moment, fully. Instead most of us is engaged in figuring out where to go. However, when we return totally to where we are, and take that step, truly, and fully, the step itself leads us to the next one. Each step taken that way guides us in the right direction. Our body knows, our deeper wisdom knows.. our feet has a brain all of its own. Enter the wisdom of our whole self as we really plant our full selves in the moment. Allow the moment and the truth of each step to guide us, in all ways.

In the midst of the chaos we are going through, it seems we've left sanity far behind and it will be so difficult to return to it.  Living in a world with mixed messages, confusion and emotions flaring high we wonder if we will ever find the road to clarity, and simple moments of joy. The truth is that sanity is right here, all the time, impossible to avoid. Unless we turn away from it. .. It is truly up to us to stop and notice where we place our attention, what messages we respond to, and believe to be valuable. In Zen practice, we stop racing around, searching for answers. The quieter we become, the more we attend to simple, natural moments, and the plain reality of who we are, what is happening right now, the more truth reveals itself. The more we enter the natural, inevitable harmony which directs and nourishes all. 

In these enormously difficult time the first thing we ask is Where Has God Gone? Endless prayers are offered, vigils and all of us instinctively turn to the divine at a time like this. In fact, God has not gone anywhere. He/she is right here, always available and present. Right Where We Are. Actually it is said that "We Are the Temple of The Living God," and therefore when we turn to God, remember, return and set our mind and hearts stayed upon the Divine, it Must Appear. We are guided, We are accompanied, and the power of goodness, wisdom and love, will prevail.

In order to break out of the spell of fear, it's necessary to learn more about fear, meet it face to face.  We are all senior to fear, there is no need to get caught in the great undertow it brings and lose our clarity and mobility. Fear never keeps us safe, it does just the opposite, creates confusion, obstruction and illusion. Divides friends and also leaves us helpless without the support we crave. Discover the true nature of fear in this podcast, and a few wonderful steps to take that will disarm it with ease. Regain your natural strength and seniority as we draw upon our true power for wisdom and courage.

The Journey to Safety begins with our ability to dismantle fear. This episode describes the nature of fear, and our ability to see through it, on our journey to the natural safety that we are.

We love to make our lives more and more complicated, fill them with "problems and fears" and then spend the entire day trying to find solutions. At the end of the day, tied up in knots, we wonder what we've gained. Actually, we have not gained anything, but lost the strength, power and beauty  a simple, natural day can bring. We have grown out of touch with the natural healing rhythms of life itself and of our own nature. As we practice Zen, we return to simplicity, take the focus away from all that's wrong, and enter the immense healing that's provided moment by moment, no matter where we are. As we take power and focus away from what's wrong,  and simply breathe, walk, look at the sky or enjoy the smile of others, little by little we regain, our natural rhythm, health, joy in life and the healing that provides.

We spend so much time waiting for things to turn out as we want them to. There is a constant demand made upon life that it fulfill "my" wishes... And when it doesn't, when something unexpected or unwanted wanted happens, we start to fight it, try to change it, feel like failures.  Then we spend endless time trying to figure out what things turned out that way. Of course there is no logical, rational answer. What we do not realize is that each moment is always fresh and different. What we wanted one moment changes the next. What we didn't want also changes. The art is to enjoy each moment that comes and that goes, to allow it to teach us, enrich us. As we sit we learn to see the freshness, not only of each moment, but of our lives, not blur everything together. A wonderful saying is: "If I have not seen you for three days, it cannot be said I now know you."

Devotion is an odd word these days when change and variety have become something many strive for. But even when we go from one experience and project to another,  a deeper sense of satisfaction and fulfillment are often missing. The power of devotion is different. When devoted to a person, cause, vision or activity not only are we committed, but enjoy the love that devotion brings. In all kinds of circumstances devotion persists and accompanies us through the most difficult of times. That is because we are focused upon something beyond our own immediate satisfaction and please.  We have offered ourselves in an unconditional way that can be depended upon. And as we do, failure is impossible. The devotion itself brings a sense of completion and wholeness, no matter how things work out.  It's wonderful to explore where you are devoted in your life, to whom or to what?

The world seems upside down today. The lines between sanity and madness are blurry and many feel anxious and confused. And, all the while harmony, clarity and even joy are right here with us. It is not difficult to step out of the world of madness, can be done, breath by breath. The path to sanity is right where we are every single moment, and we can walk on it in ease. There's no need to struggle for it, it is simply a matter of taking charge of our attention. What are we paying attention to, what are we believing, how are we handling the endless emotions that arise and seem to take us over. When we answer these basic questions, it is clear that nothing can take us over. Our life is always in our hands. 

Usually whatever happens we want to change it, fix it, do something about it. We want to control our experience, take charge and even dominate it. When we react in this manner, we are always looking for what's wrong. Our day becomes a battle between one problem and another. Rather than just "allowing" the day to appear as it does, for experiences to come and go, everything becomes a power struggle. We are desperate to make everything as "we like it" and to push away what we consider unpleasant.  This approach to life, makes us tense, angry and often feeling like a failure. There is a radically simple and yet wonderful way to release this on going stress. Engage in the great act of "allowing".. Allow each person to be who they are, allow each moment to do what it does. Become a beholder and allow life to live.  As we do this, things open up, come and go naturally. They reveal who they are and what they truly want of us. And in the process harmony and well rule the day.  

So often we go searching wildly  for something we think we lack. Suddenly, we want it badly, and we'll do everything we can to find it, look everywhere. Hours can go by as we engage in the search,  even days.  Perhaps we are reading a book and an idea hits us. We feel we must know more, find another book with more information about it.  Swept away in the search it is easy to forget where we are right now, and what is here, right under our eyes. Even though we may be holding the book in our hand, we never think of turning the page. The very next page, and the ones that follow may contain all that we are hungering for.  The other day this happened to me. Hours passed as I searched everywhere and put the book I had down beside me.  Hours later I returned to the book, picked up where I'd left off and to my amazement, found all I needed, and more,  right there.  How often this happens in our life. So important to stay right where we are and see what we find when we just turn the page.

We all believe we are outside, looking in.  There's a sense of separation from what  that which we want to belong to. We have to earn admittance, be approved of, or struggle hard to join in. But our Zen practice tells us that we are already part of life, on the inside. We all belong. Once this false sense of separation and  unworthiness dissolves we can live freely and be who we are. As long as the sense of isolation and searching for acceptance goes on, difficulty and pain arises. When we feel we don't have enough, or aren't enough, our hunger to find what we need outside of ourselves increases.  However, when we realize that we already participate with life's bounty and wisdom, wherever we go, we are at home. And can also welcome others into our lives.

It's impossible for the Truth or Reality to be hidden or hide forever. For a certain period of time we can run from it, pretend things are different than they are. We can live in dreams or fantasies, or try to explain everything that goes on.  Sooner or later, though, the bare truth of our lives appears. For some this is shocking, hard to absorb. For others, it is a great relief from the exhaustion of pretending or straining to control what is here, right before our eyes. As we step back from constant reaction,  from manouevering, and clinging to one outcome or the next, a great awareness can come to us. Along with this comes a sense of joy and peace.  It can indeed be startling to realize that life is completely different than we imagined, much more beautiful. To allow the truth to reveal itelf, to make room for truth to speak is a great gift we give to all, and a great delight as well.

We usually think that life (and practice) must be filled with suffering, struggle and strain.  There is so much we must do, and so little time to do it. And, what if the opposite is true? There is so little to do and endless time to enjoy each moment, person and day.  What if all was already done and here for us to enjoy it?  When we enter the true spirit of Zen, and of the flowing streams of each day, it is  wonderful to taste how delicious life is, and filled with endless surprises and joy. This joy heals and uplifts, gives us our true direction. That is the natural face and heart of the day and of each of us. Whatever keeps us away from this, can be easily swept away. It is simply the believing in the necessity for struggle and failure, pain and effort that  disarms us. It is the fear of stepping out of our usual pathway, sitting for a few moments at the edge of the stream and truly taking real breaths,  and relishing the life that has been given.

We all long to be unshakeable during a time of shaking and change. The search goes on endlessly for a place we can stand firmly, something we can trust and depend on to navigate through uncertain times.  It is natural to run here and there trying to find a safe and sturdy place. Where we belong. Yet, the unexpected truth is,  the more we search, the shakier we become. That is because we are looking in the wrong direction. It is not possible to find that kind of stability in a world outside that consists of nothing but change. And yet, the unshakeable road is ever available. We need simply turn in another direction, become still, open and silent and look within. To our amazement, the more we stop searching outside,  running to and fro,  the clearer, calmer and happier we become. That which cannot be taken from us, that which is consistent and illuminating is right here within. What a joyous discovery.  Life takes a brand new turn. 

So many of us feel stuck, unable to move on. We are clinging to the way things used to be or the way we feel we need things to be in order to move on. Somehow we have not realized that we are only clinging to a dream. Each moment must be different, life is a process of endless change. And that is beautiful, giving us room to to live anew, again and again.  Rather than fear change, Zen practices shows us how to step right into it. Put your attention upon this moment,  upon this very step, this very person and let it be just as it is. Taste it fully. Don't hold back. Don't wait for the perfect person or situation to arise. Each moment is the perfect moment. Each person is the perfect person. Meet them, greet them fully. Let go of old expectations of people and things, and take a radical turn in the road where you greet each moment, just as it is. Where you welcome it, taste it fully. And allow the next moment to arise as it will. Not only will this bring a great feeling of safety and balance, but it will allow you to enjoy and be part of the great river of life. No way you can feel stuck or left out then.

On Independence Day, a celebration of freedom, it is crucial to see that we are all intrinsically free. We are alive, awake, breathing.  We come to this life with all we need to sing,  love, give, thrive in everyway. And yet we suffer greatly, ruled by the idea that we are bound, enslaved, harmed and victimized wherever we go. We believe that we must go through life suffering, rejecting one another, and rejectng our own freedom. However, Zen practice, shows us that it is not so. Each moment of life, is a celebration of freedom itself. It is only necessary to stop running, and pay attention to simple moments, to our breath, the feel of our feet on the floor when walking, the sound of the rain. As we become radically present for what's happening, experience our life fully we take our attention  away what's truly binding us, our own negativity.  Then it's easy to see that freedom is right within. We have the power to reclaim our joy in life, our strength and gidance through the simple  moments as they come and go. Nothing is binding us. What a thrill to stop and see.

We often long for wisdom to get through our lives. It seems as if there is something missing in ourselves and we must find the answer somehow. This feeling drives us to search all over, in books, people, news. We constantly compare ourselves to others, and find outselves lacking. Or we idealize others, and feel deeply hurt and betrayed when they do not live up to our images of who they should be. Then we start searching for someone else, or some other solution, more frantically this time. We may find some solutions, or relationships temporarily, but circumstances change and they don't really hold up.  Whatever we do, it  doesn't fill the emptiness within.   But there is a simple solution. Stop Searching. Nothing is missing! All you need to live a beautiful life is right here within.  It is waiting to be recognized,  paid attention to and respected. Each moment that arises has guidance for you, if you will only  truly receive and honor it.

We all believe that we are bound by external forces, relationships, circumstances and situations of all kinds.  However, the truth is that we are only in bondage to our confusion, our lack of understanding of the simple laws of love. Once we discover the difference between real and counterfeit love, we can easily see that all our pain comes from living in Counterfeit Love. Living in Counterfeit Love we live in opposition to what inevitably brings harmony, well being and benefit to all.  We cannot thrive when we live in opposition to the Simple Laws of Love. Once we learn and live these laws of love, nothing can enslave us. Love frees all. Love nourishes, heals and opens doors and endless opportunities. Zen practice is truly the practice of love, which changes the ways we perceive one another, ourselves, and life itself.

We're all so busy trying to accomplish this and that, and figure out what must be done next. Seems it's never enough.  Swept up in the rush of activities and and demands of our conditioned mind, it's rare to pause and notice what's the most important thing. where are we headed.  We rarely wonder why the rush, or why we must listen to the mad mind within that endless pushes us to and fro.  This is the mind that tries to figure things out, control the future, and criticizes whatever we do. It tosses us into mazes and circles that never end. Zen practice is the great pause. It enables us to stop, to listen to the silence and a deeper part of ourselves that experiences life differently. It touches a different kind of knowing that is always availble, and can naturally point us to the Most Important Thing! 

So many of us become distraught, thinking that life is brief and that we must hold onto what we have strongly. The fear of loss and change, along with a sense of failure can haunt our entire lives. It seems as if we've missed the mark, as life keeps turning around and aruond and we cannot control any of it. What we do not realize is that everything is already here. Everything comes and everything goes, and at the same time, nothing leaves at all. When we depend upon appearances, we are confused and saddened. It looks one way, and we react to that, rather than go deeper and find the place within ourselves and others where we are all together forever.  Whether we see the person or not, where can they go? What we see is only the outer display, a set of clothes. What we feel, what we know intuitively is where our true connection lay. As we sit, we learn to receive all of life fully, not depending upon anything that seems external, but finding our root within.

Our lives are often a frantic search to find and reach our destination. We take one road after another in search of where we want to go and where we think we belong. We also demand that our relationships lead to our destination, to what we want to receive and to be. When one road or relationship fails us, we quickly search for the next.  And then the next. It is often impossible to see, or realize, that our true destination is right here now, in front of our eyes. We do not have to go anywhere to find it. And we cannot stray from it. The only reason we can't see it is because we believe that our destination is somewhere else. When that idea fades away, when we stop going from one road t the next, it's a true wonder to realize that we are just where we belong.

An epidemic of isolation and loneliness is sprouting up all over the world. A sense of separation, along with division and fear has taken hold. It certainly seems as if this is understandable. And yet what is not so obvious, is that fundamentally, it is impossible to be truly alone. We are all incredible united, connected and living in one another's hearts. And what is crucial to understand, is how to go beyond the feelings of loneliness and experience the oneness, and presence of love. The solution is so simple. It is the very heart of zazen practice, and when we embark upon this, truly it is impossible to be lonely or alone.

Most of our lives we struggle with problems of all kinds. Our energy, focus and days are revolved around, what's wrong and how we can fix it.  All day long we are protecting ourselves from danger. However, the true solution of all our problems is far too easy for us to believe. We long for complication, difficulties and to be stronger than life itself.  However, when a life of struggle grows futile and tiresome, a brand new door opens up. This is the door to ease and delight, a new way of living based upon simple truths . And, as we proceede along the way it is easy to Taste and See That Life is Good.

Most of us battle time, try to make it go slower, go backwards or forwards. We try to hold time in our grasp. Time seems dangerous even, as it flows inexorably onwards and  we are unable to stop the flow, always wondering where we are headed, and what will happen when we arrive. As we constantly weave back and forth between the past and future, time plays tricks with us. Rather than being thoroughly present in what's happening now, we focus upon remembering, comparing and hoping things will work out as we like.  I's fascinating to finally see that all of the anguish time creates is simply  the mind playing tricks on us.. Time is our dearest friend, our very life, and how we enter and relate to time, will dictate the very quality of our lives. One minute can seem to last for hours, or it can slip away unlived. Let's explore time  and see that we can always be at ease with its  flow we are a natural part of.

When disturbed we search here and there for all kinds of cures and medicines, not realizing what is medicine and what is poison.. What creates more confusion and upset, and what truly heals. It is amazing to see that true healing is simple, easy, available all the time.. Zen practice returns us to the basic, natural, rhythms and gifts of life. We take our attention back from all the ways in which it has been scattered and misapplied.  We see how life itself, when thoroughly attended to, has gifts and healings abundantly available. Let us quiet down, turn around, and explore the healing that has always been right in front of our eyes. 

So much of the time we are rocked back and forth by disappointment and confusion. We may blame others, or life itself, but in truth distress takes over because of where we have placed our trust. We are trained to put our faith and trust in authorities of all kinds, teachings, teachers, newspapers, and so called experts in every area. And all the time the true expert, the real basis of well being and strength is right in front of our eyes, living our lives, whispering in our ears, guiding us step by step. Why is it so difficult to listen to what we hear, see what we see, be grateful for the endless gifts we receive each day, even be unaware of them? Let us return to our original wisdom, and live a life based on our deepest truths.

So many resist change, as if the only way to stay steady and strong is for everything to be stable. Then we'll know who we are and how to behave. We live inside  the illusion that security comes with being in an unchanging, familiar world. However, this illusion is disrupted all the time, as our lives consist of nothing but change. And, the great art of remaining, steady and stable is to view change differently. Change is not our enemy, change is not loss. Change is only change. Once we know it, expect it,  let go of resisting it, we become at home and secure in the very experience of change itself.  This requires letting go of our endless craving to hold on, grasp things tightly. Instead, in this beautiful, new way of being, we simply learn how to open our hands.

We all feel we have so many burdens, one thing to do after the next. And it never ends.  Day by day, hour by hour, we search around for what's next. How can we improve things, what needs to be done now? Zazen practice comes to tell us to  sit down quietly, breathe, realize that it's all done. Our racing minds and hearts have been playing with us, throwing us here and there. The longer we sit still, truly doing nothing, letting the breath breathe us, letting the thoughts drift up and leave,  we start to feel the delicious presence that we naturally are. This Presence is filled with all we need and all that everyone needs as well. It's already here, taking care of everything easily and completely. All we have to do is allow that. To stop trying to run the show. To stop having to be important. Instead, just to Be. What a wonderful discovery. What a gift to ourselves and the entire world. Try this is your relationships as well. You'll be thrilled.

This is a holiday season of freedom from bondage of all kinds, a time to step  bravely into The Unknown .  Many cannot make that step, as they feel safer with that which is familiar, even if it is  hurtful to them.  It is a question of which messages we listen to. Do we listen to the call of our spirit, the deep inner knowing of where we belong? Or do we listen to the voices that surround us that insist we stay in our old place. All growth, all power and all true love belong to us and will  appear in our lives as we break free from the chains that bind us, and take that step into The Unknown.

We all  want to be Unshakeable, to be able to weather any storm that comes. Most of us think that the way to do so is to  resist difficulties, remove ourselves, focus on something else. When we do so, that which is troubling us doesn't disappear. It simply goes underground and gives fuel to  underlying anxiety and fear that  can hit at any time.The true way to be Unshakeable is to make friends with all of life. To  allow each moment, each person, and each event that comes to be what it is. To experience it fully and then simply let it go. When we do not cling to a moment, try to own it, identify with it, or become embroiled in other ways, it naturally disappears and transforms into something else. Although we might like this to happen with difficult moments,  we want to hold onto happy or beautiful moments and people endlessly. The secret  is we must adopt this open allowing with all moments, people and events. Let them Live. Let them Be As and Who They Are.  As we say in Zen, "When You Come We Welcome, When You Go We Do Not Pursue"

There's a sure way to make your life Unshakeable, enjoyable and positive no matter what's going on. Just learn the simple and powerful art of looking through the eyes of love. Usually we start the day with concern, hoping this or that will work out well. At the same time, we drink in the endless difficult and negative message sent to us by the world. And then we search with all our might to find something or someone to counteract the hard times we face. However, we can turn all of this around easily. Real love is always waiting right where we are. As we learn the difference between Real and Counterfeit Love, we also learn how simple it is to offer Real love, to be open, available, and kind. The simplicity of this is startling, as are the wonderful effects on all. And, as we do this, the endless negativity has no choice but to melt away. Read The Unshakeable Road To Love, (Value Centered Relationships) and find out more. www.totalrelationshipsnow.com