Unexpected Freedom

Unexpected FreedomWe may not be feeling how we want to feel, but we areacting from a sense of personal reality that we recognise astrue. We can be with ourselves instead of fighting ourselves.Being One with LifeWhen we discover how to be with ourselves in this mannerwe have a more ready ability to accord with both inner andouter events. Whatever is going on for us, we find we aremore likely to ‘be one’ with it.In reality we are already one with what is going on, butdue to our heedless mental habits we can live as if we areonce removed from everything. We feel like we aresomehow not really involved, but are instead watchingourselves from a remote position. We cultivate an image ofourselves and live in that image. This causes us greatsuffering. The debilitating tendency to ‘manage’ life bymaintaining constructed images of who we are doesn’t makeus feel good. We want it to, but it doesn’t. Propping up theseideas of who we are, these false identities, consumestremendous energy. No wonder we so often feel exhausted.It wasn’t many years ago that mobile phones were newand something of a status symbol. I’ve heard that at that timea young chap on a train was showing off his new acquisitionby carrying on long, loud conversations, to the irritation ofthe other passengers. Then suddenly a pregnant woman inthe same carriage went into labour. Of course, everyoneturned to the man, expecting him to call for assistance.Much to his embarrassment he had to admit that his mobilewas an imitation phone; his whole performance had been forshow. Apparently both mother and child were fine in theend. The young man probably took much longer to recover.Being addicted to an image of who we are and to ideas of146