If anyone wants to jump on board for First Friday inquiry 75 minutes–we’re doing The Work at 7:45 am Pacific Time. Open to anyone, and you can share, be in the hot seat, or just listen.
If you want to listen-only, click WebCast (with WebCall we can hear you). Or, you’ll see how to dial in simply using your phone.
I had an interesting learning experience yesterday.
I was offering the masterclass I’ve been talking about, right?
Lots of time spent collecting feedback, pouring over where people bump up into thoughts about not “getting” self-inquiry, creating the presentation with slides, figuring out what to include.
Well, basically, there was enough material to cover a weekend, not a 2 hour online masterclass.
Next Tuesday will be different. I’m cutting out some, and giving more of the most important message of all.
Slow Down.
In all these objections to understanding and awareness, whether it’s doing The Work or feeling confused about life, or being self-critical, angry, frightened or lost….
….the common denominator to peace is slowing down.
Relaxing.
Imagining a way to be that doesn’t require you to achieve or accomplish anything.
Nothing to fight with. No “issues” to fix or figure out. No relationships to resolve.
Slowing down, for me, means to slow down the things that are over-exerted, or running on over-drive, like the mind, or actions I take because I think “OMG! I have to do that or else catastrophe!”
Slowing down is wondering what it’s like to be without that thought?
Who would you be, without your thinking?
Today, I woke up and moments later was already having ideas about how to change up the next masterclass so it’s better, and people leave with a sense of peace rather than a mind full of information and noise.
But instead of diving in to work on it immediately, I took a moment to meditate in silence. And now writing this, and then I’ll be in a few minutes simply doing The Work with folks who show up for First Friday meetup.
Just doing The Work and slowing down.
Who would we be without our stressful story of anything being required for peace that isn’t already here?
“It’s only when caterpillarness is done that one becomes a butterfly. That again is part of this paradox. You cannot rip away caterpillarness. The whole trip occurs in an unfolding process of which we have no control.” ~ Ram Dass
Much love,
Grace