End Your Suffering Now

I thought I’d write today about spiritual jargon phrases like ‘present moment’, ‘be in the moment,’ ‘all we have is the moment’… I think we’ve heard these phrases so often that they’ve lost some of their original potency and instead sound sort of cheap and cliché—their actual meaning having been obscured under a thick fog of platitudinal dogma.

However, these phrases point out something that is of fundamental importance in life and that is this:  the importance of paying attention to what is actually happening inside and all around us, versus the habitual use of our mind to filter out what we don’t like, or can’t handle, via conceptually tweaking our ‘reality’ so it more closely resembles what we’d prefer.

The reason for grounding ourselves in the actual, is because it is in our best interests to know what we are actually dealing with, and so that we know how to best position ourselves in relationship to it. 

Seeking refuge in the shelter of our daydreams is understandable, not to mention pleasant, but not very practical. Like it or not, we will repeatedly be forced to confront what is real—the contents of the actual present moment.

The conceptual is best used as a tool to sort out the contents of reality, to envision better ways of living and being in the world, for example. Using the power of our minds to conceptualize escapist fantasies is often counter-productive and, arguably, an abuse/waste of the ability to think. 

If we use the power of our minds to better understand and creatively deal with what is actually our reality, then our actions stand a much better chance of doing no harm and enhancing life.

 That is worth all the initial pain and frustration of coming to terms with what is. Because, let’s face it, pushing actual reality away, rejecting it, is a sure recipe for doubling our suffering, and who needs the extra pain and drama? 

Suffering is exponentially more likely when we are out of touch with reality. 

At least when we come to terms with what is, we can respond by making the most of even bad situations, providing optimal conditions for doing the least amount of damage.

In our search for the truth it is incumbent upon us to be brutally honest with ourselves. We need to make sure that our lives are built upon the solid foundation of the actual, rather than the shifting sands of the conceptual. The conceptual has its place, but it must be handled with intelligence and care.

When we live in the present (the actual, Now) our expectations naturally align with current realities, and not our wishful thinking. This opens the door to mental and emotional liberation, and an increased ability to manage our lives with some degree of grace. 

Then we can relax and begin to enjoy our lives a little more just the way they are.