Those who know me will tell you I'm unfailingly optimistic, trusting by nature and even possibly a little idealistic. It's an attitude that has kept me afloat through some of the worst storms in life but boy oh boy have I sustained a few scuffs and bruises, even a few broken 'hope' bones along the way.
In those rare moments when I have felt thoroughly beaten, I have reflected back over the years and wondered why it is that I have been so hopeful and positive when life has been so filled with challenges, hardship and sadness.
Uhoh a moment of naked truth. You see if I'm going to be honest with you or myself, it would be to admit that there are times when I take my designer Pollyanna-style glasses off (...and weren't hers the rosiest tinted glasses ever?) to view life as it is in all its naked imperfection, warts, moles, stretch marks, scars and all.
We are brought into this world through hard labour (labor for my American friends) and birthed in excruciating pain and from the moment we emit our first scream, we struggle and strive but we never quite seem to arrive. Find me the person who is able to truthfully say that he or she has always had everything they could need and been completely and truly happy throughout life and you'll be introducing me to a person with the IQ of a cabbage. You see the human condition dictates that we are never completely satisfied unless we don't know any better.
Yes, we have happy moments and even happy periods in life but the Buddhist concept of nirvana is as foreign to a human being's nature as aqua-aerobics is to a cat. We're dissatisfied for a reason. You see, total peace is an illusion cooked up by those who hawk their methods and means by painting beautiful scenes for a transfer of greens. Trust me when I say that you might have peace some of the time but the only time you'll have peace all of the time will be after you've taken your last gasp and quit this crazy earthly theme park. I have often thought how wonderful it would be to have complete peace but my nature dictates that this is not possible. I've had peaceful moments, I've even felt at peace through difficult times (usually when I believe them to be temporary) but I don't believe that I will ever be unfailingly peaceful for any length of time. To strive for peace is like sprinting to catch a stalled bus and then paying to go nowhere.
Now doesn't this make you feel better? You're not the only one who feels sad, miserable, frightened, angry, nervous or vulnerable at times? You haven't failed because you can't smoke the peace pipe from morning to night and walk in the light. Welcome to the human race. It's called a 'race' for a reason. We are born with the innate desire to get somewhere and even to compete with one another to get there. If you're completely happy and at peace you have no incentive to move at all. Why should you? You'll be content to stay in one spot, munching on mushrooms and contemplating your navel. Progress is reliant on movement. You can't get anywhere if you don't move. You won't move unless you have a motive. If you're completely happy what motive is there? Discomfort is the greatest motivator there is.
So say 'Hey Ho, here I go' when you feel low. It's time for change. Go, go, grow!
