FAITH MONTH: DAY 25: “Faith is not something to grasp, it is a state to grow into.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
I have just enough faith for this day. That is why I cannot spend any time today looking ahead or looking behind. It is not enough to fix the past OR the future. Just today.
I am 100% responsible for continuous happiness. Where I really get to see this is that I am not depressed or overly morose about the past, because I do not dwell there. Nor am I anxious about what is coming, because I do not dwell there either.
That being the case, I am really happy, because I have learned to live in NOW. That is the greatest lesson we will ever get. Those who are depressed, anxious, or unhappy are not living in this moment. Period. So simple, yet billions of dollars are spent on drugs and treatments to shift that dynamic. Each moment is perfect and happy, if we choose to learn to live there.
We cannot store it up like a stash of drugs, nor can we spend it before it has come to us. There is nothing that we can do to change or shift it in any direction.
I had a conversation with someone today who believes it is arrogant and egotistical that I believe I am God’s favorite kid. He TOTALLY does not get it. Which is fine, we are often on different pages about recovery and so on. But we can get along on the basics of life. I will always know what that means, he will not. No biggie.
I don’t have to despise those who believe differently than I do. That is what we are taught in our culture. That those who do not agree with us are wrong. That is a terrible teaching. I am so grateful to have unlearned it, in large part, around here.
We get to do what we do; and we get to pay the prices for what we do and believe. If we are willing to grow and keep doing that, we can achieve great joy a lot of the time. I don’t focus on the things that are going wrong in my life. I want to focus on what is going well and how much joy and happiness I get to have with that.
This moment is beautiful. So many of them are. I cannot imagine trashing any one of them if I am totally present and paying attention mindfully. There is too much to learn and appreciate in all of them. My faith grows when I know that it is only a moment at a time, no matter what.
Dolphin Hug 