I was reminded of the concept of ‘arriving’ in my readings and by remembering my own misconception that somehow, someday, I would arrive at ‘happiness.’
Perhaps you have known this belief too, that ‘when I have finished this,’ or ‘when I am through this life challenge,’ I will arrive at happiness. I expect it is part of our common human experience at a point of our lives, what I am now calling the pre-adult stage. (which has nothing to do with our chronological age!)
The greatest Act of Kindness for myself has been realising, through doing the work of my personal manifesto steps, the truth of the words we have published on one of our Inspiration Cards, “There is nowhere for us to arrive at, but there is a way to be.” As I live my manifesto life, the full import of these words, comforts me and works towards allaying what I described in my first personal manifesto, coached into being by Justin in 2021, the ‘debilitating anxiety for what lies ahead.’ Since then, I have learnt that dwelling in this thought, of what lies ahead, simply does not serve me – or anyone. Yes, an awareness of where we are ‘going’ but a coming back into the ‘now,’ is essential for peace of mind.
What is my ‘way to be’ and what is yours, I now believe is the essential work of my/our lives. Revealing to ourselves the insights that lie deeply within us is the way to ‘come home to ourselves.’ This ‘arrival,’ home within our selves, is the only true arrival that serves. Once there – and for us we say this occurs when we have created our personal manifesto and become aware explicitly of that self – stillness, or non-arrival is possible. Within this state, which involves the ‘dance’ of being pulled out and returning with the ebb and flow of life’s events, we are able to experience deep happiness, the happiness of living our values-aligned lives.
The transitory events which life produces, even of the magnitude of say, ‘winning the lottery,’ only have ephemeral effects on our moods, but like all else, pass. The events, however small, that we create or experience, which fit within the auspices of our daily intentional life as we have revealed it to ourselves, are the ones which continue to reinforce our deep contentment in where we are, here, now.
Go well,
Sue