In the eye of the hurricane we find incredible peace and quiet. While the rain and wind of the hurricane howl demolishing all in its path, while creating disaster, in the eye of the hurricane the sky is blue and calmness reigns true.
As if we were in the eye of the hurricane, is it possible to remain calm in the midst of crisis?
While it is possible, it isn’t easy. We face challenges daily with regards to money, inflation, pain, love, preoccupation, sickness and even death. Every day we wake up and we embark on an adventure where these and other elements lurk on the horizon to knock us off course and take away our dreams.
We can look around and see there are people who are able to remain balanced and steady regardless of the challenges they face. While we all have different degrees of education and experience, we are all capable of getting into the eye of the hurricane so as to remain calm in the midst of crisis. We can adjust the way we see what occurs daily to improve our results. It isn’t what happens, rather how we manage what happens which is most important.
Hunger, violence and hate have existed for millions of years. While there are definite things we can do to diminish the prevalence of these tragic realities, it is unlikely any of us will completely eradicate them in the short term.
One way to imagine how it feels to be in the eye of the hurricane is to visualize ourselves sitting in lotus position with our eyes closed. We are situated directly in the middle of the turbulence which surrounds us. The noise and commotion have no effect on us. We know life is as it is and not as it should be. We understand it is possible to influence our surroundings yet know things occur which are beyond our grasp to change.
We are part of this magnificent journey we call life and, at the same time, we are not responsible for everything that happens. We can observe what occurs instead of simply reacting to everything. We have been trained since we were young to take the “reins” of life and be “responsible” for our circumstances. Certainly it is important to act in a manner consistent with our values and principles yet things happen in life which we cannot influence.
When we realize everything in life is temporary, we can look at what happens to us in a different way. Everyone and everything is in a constant process of change and nothing lasts forever. Everything simply is as it is in the moment. As terrible or as wonderful a situation may be, we know it will change with time.
The reality of life is nothing stays the same. This validates “The Law of Impermanence,” which tells us, it doesn’t matter how difficult or pleasurable an experience may be, in time it too will change. What we can do is to give our best effort and act in accordance with our beliefs and desires. The only thing which is 100% guaranteed in life is, “This too shall pass…”
∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL II 32