Love and do what you will.
St. Augustine
The above quote is from a book I'm reading by Eckhart Tolle called A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. Although I'm less than half way through it, it's certainly got my attention so far. To this point in the book the author makes many statements around the notion of the ego. He says that our attachment to our ego (or what he calls the illusory self) leads to disharmony in our life. This disharmony is manifested when we find fault just for the sake of finding fault, when we complain, when we hold grudges or grievances for extended periods of time - and the list goes on.
Tolle also says that our ego takes everything personally. When we're in that mode, we become detached from the truth. What is the truth? To quote the author - "the very being that you are is truth, if you look for it elsewhere, you will be deceived." The author's point about not letting our ego get in the way of how we react to the people and events in our life is supported by the writing of Don Miguel Ruiz. One of the agreements mentioned in his book, The Four Agreements, states that we should not take things personally. In other words, by becoming immune to the opinions and actions of others, we can save ourselves from unnecessary suffering or aggravation.
That's hard to do, isn't it? I mean - to not take things personally. For example, if we're driving on a busy street and someone cuts us off in traffic, it's difficult to not take personal offence to that. Tolle, in his book, challenges us to reach for another level of thinking in situations like that. He says, "If small things have the power to disturb you, then who you think you are is exactly that: small." Wow, that stings a little, doesn't it? Tolle reiterates that it's all about becoming more aware, more conscious - in essence, knowing ourselves better. He states: "How you react to people and situations, especially when challenges arise, is the best indicator of how deeply you know yourself."
As I write this column, I'm munching on some popcorn. As you know, heating the golden kernels of corn produces this nutritional food. When the kernel is heated, it pops or explodes and then blossoms into the puffy white foam many of us enjoy. When I think about becoming more aware, of knowing ourselves better, I'm reminded of that inner core of popcorn - the kernel.
Our sense of being or wholeness - the kernel of our existence - is embedded in our inner core. It's the values we hold dear to our hearts. In my estimation, those values would include: a prayerful attention to the divine influence in our lives, an engaging empathy and concern for others, and a deep sense of personal integrity. Dennis Waitley, an American author and speaker, says that integrity is the real bottom line in our lives. He asserts, "Integrity affects all aspects of our lives, which is why it is like a healthy investment portfolio filled with blue chip stocks such as honesty, fairness and loyalty."
Leonard Quilty is a teacher with the Centre for Learning@Home in Okotoks, Alta. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]
