Being Enlightened in the Rain
I recently saw someone write ‘the material world is irrelevant’
Well, WTF! I don’t see any understanding (enlightenment or growth or consciousness or mindfulness or awareness) as meaning we get to live some detached experience of life. Quite the opposite in fact. I know and honour all my own personal preferences whilst in this physical realm, and I know I am completely okay irrespective of whether it rains or not.
Whilst I’m here I intend to smell sweet roses, feel my feet in the sand, and barf at hideous things such as desiccated coconut. I always buy the best products I can, be it food, wine or technology. I want the full-on experience of life, not some isolated omming whilst sitting atop a mountain or at my kitchen table, (although O.M’ing, well, that’s another matter entirely…)
I love being in the sunshine, I get a real buzz and often enter another persona when listening to my favourite music, and I almost wet myself the first time I saw the iPhone 6. All of these things are completely relevant to my experience of life in this physical realm and I wholeheartedly embrace them all (so feel free to send me an Apple Watch too!)
There’s a very common theme among people I talk with and coach, and that is they feel, having gained some kind of understanding of the way we experience human life, they ‘should’ feel this or ‘should’ be doing that. Level 101 ‘personal development’ or coaching seems to be about being detached from this physical existence and forcing your way into some pure bright light of upper consciousness, ignoring all that is available here and now, almost like having passed on before you actually have passed on.
Screw that! Whilst I’m alive in this realm I intend on having a full experience of it.
Only the ego ‘shoulds’ on you. Your heart wants you to embrace the full experience of life, all those in it, and do so without trying to be someone you are not. So yes, “just be you” really can be the most powerful advice when it’s considered as ‘don’t try to be someone else’. You already are everything. You are love. Just be that which you already are.
I’ve learnt that I can hate this drizzly English summer weather AND still be aware I am love. I can and do love the me that hates the f@&king rain!
There is a bigger happiness available to you that is beyond immediate pleasure, and beyond any notion of supposed detached enlightenment you may have. It's a happiness of acceptance which includes accepting you are your preferences. You’re here to experience life in all its physical and emotional forms.
Whilst talking about personal preferences with my own coach once, she asked me “Phil, do you like broccoli?”
“Huh? Well, ummm, as it happens, yes I do”
“Well can you tell me WHY you do?”
Of course I couldn’t. As far as I can tell we all have our own personal preferences, mostly without explanation, and they form part of who we are and how we experience life in this physical realm. I can and do love me WITH my personal preferences.
Allow yourself to sob uncontrollably after that breakup, and remember you ARE love. Allow yourself anger, disgust and sadness, and remember you ARE love. Allow yourself to be wooed by the latest gadget if that’s your thing. And remember, you ARE love.
I invite you to honour all of your preferences and desires, including and especially all the physical ones. Live and breath into them, hell yes even be attached to them because they are part of who you are as an expression of love in human form. Take your physical body to some sunny place and chill out by the ocean. Love it when your team wins, cuss when they lose, and remember you ARE love.
Right now I also love my umbrella…