Accept Reality

[ More about Step 2: Disbelieve our Story ]

An important question that I ask myself is: "Am I in pain?" If yes, then I would ask where the pain came from, and what the pain wanted. I have found that the pain comes from within me. When I demand that reality should be different from what is in front of me, I experience pain. And strangely, I did not know that I am in pain until I asked. When we speak from pain, we don't mean what we say. We mean what we want. We want the world to give us what we want, even if it is just a listening ear or some sympathy. We keep ourselves in pain, when we want something that we don't have, or don't want something that we have.

It is seductive to believe that in an ideal world that does not exist. The rich should give their wealth to help the poor. The politically powerful should use their power to benefit the needy instead of for personal gain. The Americans should stop their interference in other countries' affairs. The Chinese (from China) should reexamine their morality. The pirates of Somali should stop terrorizing innocent people. The greedy Arabs should stop driving up oil prices. The Japanese should stop hunting endangered whales.

All these statements are not true, because they do not reflect reality. They reflect our own desire of how the world should be, and judgment of what is happening. What the world should be, however, is not how the world is. Byron Katie has written extensively on this issue.

We are living the life that is perfect for us now - just that we do not know it. We are living our dreams right now - just that we do not know it. This is the hidden reality, that if we can see, will release us from our pain.

Our common perspective is that we must do something, in order to have something, in order to be something. This is the opposite of the hidden reality, which is that when we are something, then we will have something, with which we will do something. Thus, when we believe that we must sacrifice ourselves, in order to achieve something, so that we can be something, we experience unhappiness and pain. This is because we have it backwards.

I am living the life in front of me right now. I am accepting the world in front of me as perfect as it is.

• Instead of thinking that I must go to a party in order to have fun in order to be happy, I am happy, and I am having fun (e.g. joking, dancing) as I work with my colleauges. This will be my party.
• Instead of thinking that I must study very hard in order to get certified in order to help people, I am helping people by sending them copies of Byron Katie's work, building the Rainbow Human website and making the 5 committments for forgiveness on Facebook. This will be my way (or Tao).
• Instead of thinking that I must go dating to have a girlfriend on order to feel complete, I already feel that I am completed. I have had fun joking and verbally filrting with a few ladies who may decide to go on a date with me (or they may not, but it does not matter).
• Instead of thinking that I must earn money in order to visit some places in the world so that I can experience joy, I am travelling there in my imagination and enjoying the sights and feelings. This will be my overseas vacation.

Nothing can make us happy until we are happy. Nothing can give us something that we don't already have. As long as we believe in our thoughts that our suffering is caused by external factors, we will not see the possibilities that can exist. And when we let go, many wonderful things can and will happen.

[ More about Step 2: Disbelieve our Story ]