We’re Not In A Hurry

There seems to be so many issues locally, nationally and globally that require some major conscious effort on governments and citizens’ ends to bring about some positive changes. I confess I’ve been rather hooked on watching the news since last Thursday. When I can look at the Congressional Hearings from an objective point of view — as a piece of history and an evolution of humanity — it is deeply fascinating. At the same time, I am aware of the urgency that whatever the political system that’s broken needs to get fixed. Quick.

Then there’s the climate issues. As an environmentalist and “Green realtor,” I am tuned into a lot of information about how critical and urgent this issue is and all the movements happening around the world. And I am aware of my susceptivity to getting pulled down into a rabbit hole of doom. I often feel so discouraged that we’d ever be able to bring this Earth back to balance.

Whatever the cause we care about, I do believe it comes down to our own healing process. Many years ago when I was at a meditation retreat, someone had asked the teacher how could he possibly feel at peace when the world is a hot mess and needed a lot of help. The teachers’ response, which left me with indelible memory, was “you must not be attached to the outcome to be involved in any sort of activism.” In other words, you can get so involved in the causes you believe in, but you could get burned out if you rely on the outcome to feel content or satisfied; hence, happy.

I have to know how I can feel more than O.K. let alone happy even when things are not how I like them to be. It takes practice to be able to find peace and joy when the world or the life itself is a hot mess. As I sat with a lot of my fears, some sorrows, some frustrations in my retreat, one night my teacher said, “We’re not in a hurry.” What he meant was it takes as long as it takes for our practice to bring the peace and/or ease we want in our life. Hurrying to get somewhere when the rest of my being is not quite ready won’t bring about whatever I want.

Even though there are many things that we want changed, perhaps we can start from here, with our own healing process, and trust that we’re on the right track, and we don’t have to hurry.