Letting Go of our Stories

I just heard of a story which I would like to share today.

In “A New Earth”, Eckhart Tolle describes a story entitled "The Duck With The Human Mind". He says that when two ducks get into a fight, it never lasts too long, because the ducks will separate and float off in opposite directions. “The duck will flap its wings vigorously a few times, thus releasing the surplus energy that built up during the fight. After they flap their wings, they float on peacefully, as if nothing had ever happened. If the duck had a human mind, it would keep the fight alive by thinking, by story-making. This would probably be the duck’s story: “I don’t believe what he just did. He came to within five inches of me. He thinks he owns this pond. He has no consideration for my private space. I’ll never trust him again. Next time he’ll try something else just to annoy me. I’m sure he’s plotting something already. But I’m not going to stand for this. I’ll teach him a lesson he won’t forget.”

Tolle summarizes, “But this is how most humans live all the time. No situation or event is ever really finished. ...We are a species that has lost its way. Everything natural, every flower or tree, and every animal have important lessons to teach us if we would only stop, look, and listen. Our duck’s lesson is this: Flap your wings - which translates as “let go of the story” - and return to the only place of power: the present moment.”

This story illustrates how our minds get caught up in making up stories about our experiences. We may in the moment find ourselves feeling deeply;

Our dog has just died and we feel intense grief. We reunite with a lover and feel intense joy. We fly into a rage when someone crosses our boundaries.

All of these feelings are valid. However, it is our thoughts that follow the emotions that lead to the tangles I wrote about in my blog "The Life Tapestry". And, it's what we do with these thoughts that make all the difference. In the moment that we notice our thoughts going down that all too familiar pathway of "story", we can stop, take a deep breath, and return to our center. If we are still feeling the intensity of the emotions, we can "flap our wings" and release the energy just as the duck did. It is then we can return to the present moment, to our "place of power". We can return to our Pond.


Duck Dance by ViaMoi

Love is the Real Power

Love is the real power.

It's the energy that cherishes. The more you work with that energy,

the more you will see how people respond naturally to it,

and the more you will want to use it. It brings out your creativity,

and helps everyone around you flower.

Your children, the people you work with-everyone blooms.

Marion Woodman Jungian Analyst

Your Daily Lao Tzu

The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu

Chapter 37

"Eternal Tao doesn't do anything yet it leaves nothing undone.

If you abide by it, 

everything in existence will transform itself.

When, in the process of self-transformation,desires are aroused, 

calm them with nameless simplicity.

When desires are dissolved in the primal presence,

peace and harmony naturally occur,and the world orders itself."

Acceptance

"I am a lover of what is,

not because I am a spiritual person,

but because it hurts when I argue with reality."

Byron Katie

Your Daily Lao Tzu

Gravity is the root of lightness; 
stillness, the ruler of movement.

Tao Te Ching verse 26

Your Daily Tolle

LIFE TRANSITION FIVE: THE LIFE REVIEW

from "Spiritual Turning Points" Chapter 5 

"Twenty years have passed since the completion of the fourth transition, during which time many experiences have contributed to the study of the soul’s purpose. The natural time for this monadal transition to begin is usually sometime between the ages of sixty and seventy-five, which in modern society is not always near the end of life. Still, when this transition begins, much of the life has been lived in terms of significant milestones: Children have been raised and now, hopefully, are out on their own; retirement has occurred or is on the horizon; and the physical body has now officially reached maturity and is starting its decline. Sound a bit morose? Not at all—it is simply the natural progression of life on the physical plane. This transition can, however, be startling to some, and many may resist the idea that eventually they will die and that they are mortal.

The changes that have begun to occur in relation to physicality are clear, yet the internal shifts toward a more balanced and even-tempered life take root sometime in the late fifties and early sixties as the work focus reaches a peak and then begins to wane. For years, the individual may have focused on work as the primary means of support as well as depending on status in the world as a way to define the self. Of course, not all people experience life this way as there are some who have chosen to live off-beat and creative lifestyles while avoiding the pitfalls of a nine-to-five job and so the shift which occurs during the fifth transition may not feel as unsettling. The onset of this transition feels a little like standing at the top of a mountain and looking back at the entire life.

Life had been going along pretty smoothly for years with my job at the local library and Tom’s work as an attorney. I was nearing retirement and then the economy nearly collapsed in 2008 and I got a pink slip within about two months. I was shocked! My sixty-fifth birthday was just a few months away, but I had literally given no thought to what I might want to do once I had more time on my hands. I could only do so much needlepoint, and besides, I was still a young woman at heart! I found myself thinking a lot about the past—where I went to school, what happened to my friends, things I had always wanted to do but never did. I did a lot of daydreaming that year. (Sophie, age sixty-seven)"

c.2011 Victoria Marina-Tompkins All rights reserved

Full Moon in Scorpio Photo