Daily Inspiration 5-9-12

"A constant struggle, a ceaseless battle to bring success from inhospitable surroundings, is the price of all great achievements." -- Orison Swett Marden I'm sorry, but I have to say bunk to this statement. I love Orsion, but struggle, ceaseless battle, inhospitable surroundings is too damn much work and it is so dang iffy a proposition. No wonder people are afraid to succeed. It's hard and sweaty work. Or not. In thinking back on my life, I find the opposite to be true. It was the times when I worked the least, and enjoyed it the most that the most success came and it came without the struggle and battle. It just showed up. Not on its own, of course, it did require activity on my part, but more than this, it required focused energy. This morning I went for a five-mile walk and had a couple significant thoughts that I had to record. One of them was about this struggle and battle issue, or a more common way to put it is to "make it happen." The thought was how interesting the difference is between making it happen and allowing it to be. It was one of those ah-ha experiences. Making it happen is the old style, nose to the grindstone (yuck) mentality that you just go out and find a way and make it happen, pull that success from inhospitable surroundings, escaping the jaws of death; the "it's not personal, it's just business" idea. Scares the crap out of most people. On the other hand, to begin with gratitude for what we already have, see the beauty that is all around us, have an idea to do something and act on our inspirations that naturally come, we don't have to struggle, but relax into our success by allowing it, or accepting it. Think about those very different approaches to what we say we want, and consider how appropriate allowing it to be is in comparison to making it happen. And, here's a simple way to understand and appreciate the difference. When I am getting in my car to go somewhere, I mentally state my intention to have "safe, efficient and pleasant travel to and from all destinations today." Even if I'm travelling several places, I need only state it once. Then I accept it and relax in it. If I feel my habit pattern create traditional tenseness, I remind myself to relax in it. Tense is making it happen, worrying about getting there on time, who's in front, side and behind me, looking for cops, getting antsy behind the slow driver, etc. Relaxing is full expectation of success. It is confidence and gratitude as if it is already done. Then it comes to be exactly like that.

There Is A Flow To Allow Or Swim Against. The Choice Is Our Own To Make Moment By Moment.   Spread Some Joy Today--Next time you feel tense, practice your joy in relaxing. The people around you will thank you.