Holding a steady nerve

The main thing right now is to hold your nerve steady. Things are shifting fast. Nothing external is reliable. This is not new. It’s always been so. But the acceleration rate has increased. However, the ancient Taoists always stressed that, no matter the pace of change, the key to sanity and wellbeing lies in remaining identified internally, with the unchanging ground of being at your core, rather than be caught in the external world of the ‘ten thousand things’.

They also proposed that by creating an internal atmosphere of stability in this way, you would automatically generate stability of resources and wherewithal in the external world too. In other words by attuning to the stable inner ground upon which your psychic structure rests, the external world will reflect that by transmuting itself into a stable environment that will support your life and provide for your physical needs.

This begs the question – how many of your needs are actual and how many are merely imaginary ones influenced by vanity and/or the fear of inconvenience?

Much of what you fear losing – for the fear of losing things is in the air at the moment – boils down to losing status symbols and is hence more about fearing humiliation in front of others than actual survival fears. And the perceived need for things being convenient is not actually a need but a preference.

When you strip away need/preference for status, convenience and all the relatively superficial drives, what you actually need is air, water, food, shelter, clothing and human warmth. Attaining anything more is, without exception, a bonus.

As long as you have the essentials sorted, however modestly, you’re ahead of the game. Ahead of the game you’re able to optimise on the bonus factor, to effect shifts of circumstances simply by intending it, but only as long you’re relaxed about it.

And you can only begin relaxing about it once you’ve given thanks for having the essentials in place, even if only on a very fly-by-night basis.

So if you have the air, water food, shelter, clothing and human warmth elements in place enough not be suffocating, dehydrating, starving, or freezing tonight, give thanks. It’s actually all the foundation you need from which to create more for yourself and those around you.

I mention it only to give you a boost of courage and derring-do.

Wish: you feel stable as a rock and in that stability are able to feel the innate joy of being alive regardless of what’s going on or isn’t going on around you today.

BD