Welcome to my little get-away. Do you like it? Before we settle in let’s toss some of the excess baggage. There’s no room for those resentments about the past nor worries about tomorrow. Get rid of that backpack of responsibilities weighing you down. Settle in under my palm tree and let’s look just beyond the horizon. It’s calling us, isn’t it? Rest for the soul.
You have probably noticed that there is not a house under my palm tree, not even a hut or tent. Running water would be nice, but what use is a bathroom without a house? There is no shed for excess belongings, no lawn mower, no shovels, no wheelbarrow. No need for a storage unit across town in which to store all the stuff that won’t fit into the attic or cellar or garage. Pretty sparse by American standards – actually downright spartan.
Stuff – it’s the American way. More, more, more to satisfy an insatiable thirst for possessions that will prove to our friends and neighbors how successful we are and to ourselves that we are special. Then, when we tire of our stuff, we throw it into the dumpster and immediately run to Wally World to buy more stuff. Stuff, stuff, stuff.
As we ponder the horizon from under our palm tree, let’s consider what our greed and Madison Avenue’s advertising genius have done to us as a society. The USA consumes an enormously disproportionate share of the earth’s resources to produce all the conveniences and goods we are accustomed to having. One would think, therefore, that we are the most content, well-balanced, satisfied nation on the surface of the planet enjoying the most advanced living standard. Really?
What went wrong? We bought into capitalism’s promises of fulfillment and happiness hook, line, and sinker. We were snookered by the rich cats living in opulence surrounded by all their stuff which, by the way, is much better than our stuff. Oh no. Not only did they lead us astray, they got away with the really good stuff and left us with the junk!
Head spinning yet? Come back, back to our horizon, back to our palm tree, back to what is important – living in the now. Surrender to the wisdom of the ancient mystics who told us that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enjoy a place of peace (heaven) while saddled with his stuff.
So many of us have lived our lives placing unmerited value on the opinions of others while discrediting our personal truth and reality. Breaking the shackles of people-pleasing requires honest self-appraisal, a healthy dose of self-esteem, and an enormous commitment to self-realization.
lpb quest - the twilight dance 