April 28, 2015
Raven’s Medicine: Making a Successful Life
There are many ways to have what may be called a successful life.
The materialist says: money is the measure. I just saw a list of 50 people who possess 50% of the world’s wealth.
The usual question asked is, “but, are they happy?” For some of us having the rest covered keeps us happy.
Some few I suspect are seeking a cave in the mountains, a sparse existence physically filled with meditation, chanting and spiritual practice.
Somewhere in between these extremes live the majority of human beings all of us making our way through life in a body. I’m certain most never think of it this way.
There are some, though, that are thinking, contemplating and considering their lives. Some are even reading RavensMedicine.com! Welcome!
Let us work together for a short while on what it might be to live a successful life.
When asked for his message, The Dalai Lama said something like this: do good through your life so that when you are older, you can enjoy it all over again. Where I am right now I can verify that I enjoy recalling what I did well and continue to forgive myself again when I remember what I did not. So, I get the warmth of the good stuff and the lessons of the other events over again. It works for me and I can use myself in stories as a really good bad example other people do not have to tread some of those harrowing places. So, it turns out as good after all.
There is a way, however, no matter where you are along with way to find a wholesome grounding in a successful life.
A fine fellow, Miguel Ruis, a teacher of the Toltec, brought us: the Four Agreements. He suggests we agree with ourselves to follow a path made with these personal decisions to govern our own behavior.
First: Be as good as your Word. This is the bedrock foundation for success in life. Remember, St. John’s Gospel: In the beginning was the Word, the Word was God, and the Word was with God.
What does this really mean to those of us Pilgrims on the Path. Something like this: when I speak my Word, I create my life. I act as the local God in my own life. I can create chaos, sickness, trouble, mayhem or I can create the success I seek: joy, happiness and love, fulfilling relationships, fruitful work, creativity and lots of fun. On this agreement, integrity is based.
The Word was God (when I think properly) and the Word was with God (by voicing the Word into space), I create the reality I speak. Another way to say this is: when I speak my Word, my Word is law in the Universe.
Second: always do my best. And remember that today’s best may not be what it was yesterday, it may be ‘better’ or not: best changes as the day changes, as I change for weakness or strength. But no matter what the conditions are, that exist right now, do the best you can. The effort supports your natural esteem.
Third: do not make assumptions. By cleaning up this part of your life you can erase from it what my father would have called: grief. Grief is all the edgy, difficult, mean old sticky wickets that come along when you/I fail to ask the questions: What is really going on here? Who is making the rules in this situation? Am I really perceiving this person without prejudice? Have I looked at all the angles? Did I jump to some kind of conclusion?
In my own time, stopping the assumptions, asking the right questions and waiting for real information cleared up a lot of really messy situations: grief!
Four: this seems pretty basic and yet it needs to be stated right out loud.
The Universe is neither for you or against you. It simply IS.
If there has been one single lesson that Journey of the Lotus has brought me it is this. No one is conspiring to turn my life to mud. If I run out of gas, I did not put gas in the van in a timely manner. My shoes are wet because I stepped in the puddle. It’s the big stuff and the trivial and it’s on me. Well, okay, I can own my own life whatever shows up. It’s a liberation, in fact!
So I think success is not really that I live a charmed existence when everything is sweet and beautiful but what does show up is me, the one who can experience the sweet and the beauty I see everywhere.
Keep up your own good work, you are worth it. Love and Blessings.
And please add your participation to this glorious Journey of the Lotus. Annika has made space for you to do that. And thank you very much.