Our true essence is revealed ...

"Our true essence is revealed in moments of unexpected change," wrote Rumi, another Sufi poet. The first time I read these words, some ten years ago, I was quite in awe, a little bit afraid, and filled with trepidation as to how I'd measure up. I knew within, that most moments of unexpected change filled me with frustration, irritation, sometimes anger, often fear, and a feeling of powerlessness and a loss of control, especially if I perceived the responsibility for the change to be someone else's. Depending on how much I believed the extent of my suffering was, on account of this unexpected change, I would be harshly judgemental in direct proportion, of the person I held responsible for it.

But as I continued to grow and evolve, a very conscious choice from which there was going to be no turning back, I found that I used the above quote as a measure, a touchstone, of how I was changing - from being a 'victim' of other people's vagaries, to handling situations with equanimity and without drama - and always accepting full responsibility for that which was going on in my immediate environment. For that, fellow wayfarers, is what the truth is - that there is nothing in our lives that we don't attract and/or create. Playing vicitm doesn't work, because we ourselves are our perpetrators! And the sooner we accept this, the faster we can move on, onto the path of joy, happiness, contentment, fulfilment, and empowerment. And when we accept responsibility for everything in our lives, unexpected change only reveals a very beautiful true essence :-)!

But - you might ask ... surely there are things outside our control - what do we do about those? Well, for now digest Rumi's quote - make it your own - chew it, taste it, relish it, till it becomes second nature to use it as a yardstick to measure your reactions in different situations. You will find it stops you dead in your tracks from being 'reactive', since we want to be proud, and not ashamed of our 'true essence'.

Kiki ;-)