 “Buts” are familiar. They allow us to stay in our places of unhappiness . . . and they rob us of the life we were created to live.
Have you ever thought, “I want to be happy, but . . .”
“I want to be happy but my children are going down a path I would not choose for them.”
“I want to be happy but my career is not where it should be. I was passed up for the promotion.”
“Sure, I want to be happy. But how can I be happy when I just lost my job?”
“I want to be happy but I’m just not making enough money.”
“I want to be happy but I need a bigger/better/newer (house, car, boat, rental home – you name it!)
“I want to be happy but I don’t have the time to do the things I want to do.”
“I want to be happy but that person really hurt me.”
“I want to be happy but I feel so alone.”
“I want to be happy but I am so scared of what the future holds.”
We can all find a “but” to our happiness.
In New York Times bestseller Untethered Soul, Michael Singer writes about the path to unconditional happiness.
“The highest spiritual path is life itself. If you know how to live daily life, it all becomes a liberating experience. We have to realize we have only one choice in this life, and it’s not about your career, whom you marry, etc. It really is about one underlying decision: Do you want to be happy, or do you not want to be happy? It really is that simple. Once you make that choice, your path through life becomes totally clear.”
Singer’s book is not written for the Christian perspective per se, but more of a recognition that many world religions have the same rudimentary truth to embracing life . . . we must let the crap go that holds us captive. We must let go of the “buts.”
In fact, Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
If “the Kingdom of God is at hand” – then we can’t live in a world of “buts” because the Kingdom of God is a state of being that is of perfect peace and love. It is the here and now. Not the pain of the past or the worry of the future.
We are the issue . . . because we let our minds control us and we allow our circumstances to cause us to focus on things that rob us of our joy. Go back to the “but” sentences above . . . when we think those things, we stop ourselves from feeling that perfect peace and love that Jesus was talking about.
What we need is transformation – and that is what Jesus meant when he said “repent.”
To repent means to turn.
So, what if we turn away from the things that have held us hostage for so long?
Turn away from . . .
Fear.
Guilt.
Anger.
Jealousy.
Greed.
What if we allow ourselves the opportunity to be completely mindful of where we are RIGHT NOW?
What is right now – in this moment?
What if we “let it/that be!”
Recognize that the feelings we have are merely just that . . . things we feel. We can let them go and recognize that we are always going to have “stuff” happen to us. But we cannot allow that stuff to control us, to consume our minds.
If we will let it go, we will recognize that all things work together for good, regardless how bad.
And as always – the worst things are NEVER, ever the last things.
If we will ponder these things, we can let go of the “buts” and live a life that embodies that which we were created to live.
A life of joy, happiness, love, and peace.
Grace and Peace,
Andrea
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