There was once a hit Broadway show with a title many people could relate to. It was, “Stop the World, I Want to Get Off!”
When life seems overwhelming that’s exactly what we want to do, isn’t it? We just want to get away from everything that frustrates us, frightens us, makes us feel powerless.
But that wish is the result of so much misunderstanding. It’s based on the belief that we can escape this world and reach a place, a time, with no problems. But the physical world we live in is a fact we simply can’t escape. And even more important, the world around us and the people in it are not the problem.
The problem is that we ourselves are the world we live in, which means all our issues and troubles come with us wherever we go. It is our beliefs, desires, expectations, and demands that form our relationship with the world outside us and determine how we experience it. Unless, through greater understanding, all of that changes in us, nothing will change for us, no matter what else we do or where we go.
The bright side to all of this is that the outer world we live in is meant to be our ally, in that everything we undergo in it can be used to discover and transcend the self that keeps creating the life we don’t want.
We can use the world to learn what we need to see about ourselves. Then we can live consciously in this world, but not be of it — not be of the lower level of consciousness that currently dominates human beings and is reflected in the physical world we experience as we do — and want so desperately to get off.
The great sages throughout time have told us we can learn to live in the world without being ruled by it. We can develop a new relationship with it that keeps us inwardly free. Here is a sampling of their wisdom:
It is in your power to be free from all compulsions, and to remain in the greatest tranquility of mind, even if all the world cries out against you as much as it chooses. — Marcus Aurelius (121 – 180)
If you understand, you can make use of it on the road, like a dragon reaching the water, like a tiger in the mountains. If you don’t understand, then the worldly truth will prevail, and you will be like a ram caught in a fence, like a fool watching over a stump waiting for a rabbit. — Yuan-wu (1063 – 1135)
To live in the presence of great truths and eternal laws… that is what keeps a man patient when the world ignores him, and calm and unspoiled when the world praises him. — Honore de Balzac (1799 – 1850)
A true man never frets about his place in the world, but just slides into it by the gravitation of his nature, and swings there as easily as a star. — E.H. Chapin (1814 – 1880)
It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after your own; but the great man is he who, in the midst of the crowd, keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882)
And finally, here are encouraging words from OneJourney Founder Guy Finley:
There is nothing that life can deliver to your door that is not effortlessly handled in the same moment you remember this truth: nothing has the right to enter into and remain in your heart or mind without your consent. — Guy Finley (1949)
If you would like to learn secrets of how to develop this better kind of relationship with life, an upcoming series of Holiday talks by Guy Finley can start you on your way.
The Peace, the Power, and the Freedom To Be in the World But Not of It
Guy Finley presents an ongoing series of talks on these topics of peace, power, freedom, letting go, and so much more. Guy tells us, “If you’ve ever wondered — longed to know, first hand — if there really is another world closer to you than your own flesh and blood, be assured there is! And this is your invitation to discover and realize the truth of this timeless kingdom for yourself.”
On these free livestreamed talks, Guy will show you how to:
— Step Into the Celestial Current of Creation Itself
— Know Where to Look for and Walk the “Middle Path” to Perfect Living
— Discover the Unfailing, Everlasting “Perfect Love” That Casts Out Fear
— Want What Life Wants, Even When It’s the Last Thing You Want!
If you feel as though you’re torn between two worlds — the world of daily life vs. the mysterious higher order of life you sense is all around you – you need not remain in that dilemma. Learn how to fully live the earthly life you are given, and at the same time strengthen your connection to the celestial life you long for, and are meant to have.
These talks are livestreamed every week for free on Wednesday nights at 7:00pm Pacific Time, and Sunday mornings at 9:30am Pacific. Each session lasts about an hour and a half and includes an open Q&A period during which you can ask Guy your questions. You can pre-register for all of Guy’s livestreams at www.guyfinley.org/webinar and you will be sent a reminder email with the link right before each talk.
And don’t worry if you are unable to attend these classes in real time. If you register now you will get immediate access to the full archive of past talks so that you can watch whenever you want.
Best wishes,
Dr. Ellen Dickstein
The OneJourney Project
