Friday, January 7, 2005

The Paradox of Acceptance and Action

I have struggled a long time over the seeming paradox of accepting everything as it is and yet taking action in this world. The way I have come to look at it is this:

When I accept this moment, the now, the moment is not static. Within every moment is a kind of momentum that moves us forward. Evolution is a simple example of some irresistible force that has continued to produce creatures more and more aware of themselves and their universe. The now I am embracing is not only the static moment of how things are, it is that life force, the chi, that runs through everything, that causes continual renewal and growth.

Accepting the now means being aware of and yielding to that force within me in this moment - the "still small voice", the path I am on, the person I have learned I am becoming. All of these things imply movement for the future, as well as integration of the past. So, do I accept my grumpy attitude today? Yes - but I also accept the energy within me today that is slowly moving me towards a life of more peace. This means I don't have to fix myself, or fix the world - I just have to dance with it - to "play the chess game", instead of thinking I have a thousand serious moves left.

And cherishing the now means to fully see the miracle of that energy flow within me, to fully appreciate it, to get to know it, to feel gratitude for it, to even become fond of it - to have a deep love for it, for the divine within me, within all of us.

That's the theory, anyway :-) That is the direction I want to move.

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