Life {re}Defined

I have been ill and basically in bed for the past 3 weeks. My illness was due to part genetics, part ignorance, and part fate. There were times when the 'ignorance' aspect really got to me and caused me to tamper with self blame and anger towards my uninformed destructive choices. But God was always there reminding me through my family and through subtle small ways, that no matter what happens, I must stay committed to the Peace that passes all understanding. One of these small reminders is a man I once read about.

A monk was incarcerated for 18 years as a political prisoner of the Chinese. After he was released, an interviewer asked him if he was ever in serious danger. "Yes, about three times", the monk explained. "How so?", the interviewer asked him. "Were you tortured?" ... "Yes, but the torture is not what I am referring to", the monk replied. "I am referring to the times when I grew angry".

The monk was affirming that his primary commitment was to Spiritual Peace, and he evaluated his success in life by how much he stayed connected to that Peace. His body could be incarcerated, but not his soul.

You and I have our "to-do" lists which determine what we would like to get done in a day. Yet it maybe equally (or even more) valuable to create a "to-feel" or a "to-be" list that sets our intentions for the kind of experience we want to have during out day, regardless of the outer events.

As spiritual beings, it is the Spirit in which we live that satisfies us. Even if you get angry or lose your center, see how quickly you can return to your sense of joy and clarity. Then you will find yourself in less danger and more safety every day. I did.