One of the good things about having a living Teacher is that often he/she says something that goes in so deep that it becomes a kind of radioactive isotope of truth -- radiating from the inside out forever.

One particular moment like this happened for me a few years ago.

I was at an event where Maharaji was speaking and, in a very casual way, he used a modern image to make a very ancient point -- one I could definitely relate to then and still can.

He was talking about the phenomenon of impatience and likened the human condition to being a passenger on a jet plane traveling at 650 mph, but running up and down the aisles trying to get there faster.

Ernest Hemingway referred to this phenomenon in a similar way. "Never confuse motion with action," he said.

Ralph Waldo Emerson also weighed in on this topic. "It's not enough to be busy, he said, "ants are busy. What are we busy about?"

For me, the challenge is almost always about enjoying the ride -- and relaxing into it -- rather than trying to force things. I make plenty of effort, but after the effort has been made, it's time to let things unfold.

If I plant a tomato seed on Monday, I won't have tomatoes on Tuesday. Some things take time. Yes, effort is needed, but the right kind of effort -- effort born of wisdom, not fear.

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Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at June 6, 2011 11:29 AM

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Posted by: Valorie Berman at June 6, 2011 09:17 PM

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