How Are You Getting On?
Years ago, the Perth radio station 6PR (Gentle on Your Mind) had a short item they sometimes played that went like this:
Did you hear the story which imagined that God had forgotten all about having created man?
‘Which one is he?’ said God. ‘The one with the long neck and spots?’
‘No, short neck, no spots, two legs. The creature you gave freedom to make the world into heaven on earth, or into absolute chaos.’
‘Oh, yes,’ said God. ‘How did he get on?’
God (or whatever name you want to give to the source of all life) doesn’t sit beside us and ask, ‘How are you getting on?’. It would be unnerving but nice if this did happen, but because it doesn’t, it’s a good idea to ask it of ourselves now and then. Sort of step back from the busyness (business) of living and check in on what’s going on underneath or within it all.
Getting back to 6PR’s segment, are you creating heaven on earth, or absolute chaos?
If you’re living in “heaven on earth” you’re fine, but if you find yourself surrounded by chaos, there’s a three-part simple solution.
1. Stop doing.
2. Stop talking.
3. Stop thinking.
Be Present
To know how you are getting on, you need to take a break from what you call your life. In other words, you have to be present.
It’s up to you how long the break will last, depending on your personal situation. It may be as short as a minute here or there throughout a day, or a whole day, or a week. Sometimes just asking the question is enough to silence the business and babble of the day to allow you to check in to your deeper knowing and stop the headlong rush to achieve the next thing on your To Do list.
While you’re checking in, it’s a good idea to check on what Thich Nhat Hanh refers to as your seeds of happiness, in his book, Your True Home:
Whether we have happiness [heaven] or not [chaos] depends on the seeds in our consciousness. If our seeds of compassion, understanding, and love are strong, those qualities will be able to manifest in us. If the seeds of anger, hostility, and sadness in us are strong, then we will experience much suffering.
What Seeds Are You Growing Within You?
During your short or long break, check on your levels of compassion, understanding, and love. If they’re low, paying attention to them will make them grow. And as they grow, the chaotic seeds of anger, hostility, and sadness will diminish until they’re almost non-existent.
So, how are you getting on?
Stop doing.
Stop talking.
Stop thinking.
And you’ll be close to finding the answer.
With love, Marlane
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