JOYFUL PIECE #139
Unleash it!
Sufi dancers image by Mona Hassan Abo-Abda, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.1
Difficult times, many challenges…it is difficult to act cheerfully as we face the consequences of the murderous actions of the POTUS, his supporters, and Netanyahu.
Hundreds of Iranians are dead, including 165 schoolgirls, in an unprovoked attack funded by our taxes.
My level of disgust is pegged out. But the reality is that we must be up to the task of resisting the fascists. So, it is important to maintain a balance in our composure as we work ceaselessly to overcome the hideous deeds of the fascist-infected GOP.
Recall things that unleash inner joy in your soul: sharing laughter with friends, choosing the right word, picking a thoughtful gift for a loved one, hitting the golf ball right down the fairway’s middle, catching a tough throw at first base, executing a difficult athletic move, producing a design that passes the stress test, engaging in an action faithful to its purpose, consoling the suffering, being there for those who need you, dancing like nobody is watching, being “in the groove” on a long run, encountering a stunning sight on a hike, jamming with your grandchild.
The following events may only temporarily gladden your ego but will not unleash you inner joy: disrespecting crooked politicians, receiving a poetry award, being covered in presents, winning the golf tournament, getting the MVP award, that coveted gold medal, the best design award, knee jerk reactions, self-gratification, checking things off your “do list”, taking dance lessons, beating the clock on a run, watching TV, working long hours.
Joy is in the process— not in the outcome.
You have all you need to uncover your joy, regardless of the cruel actions from an egotistic POTUS. Reach out to those he hurts— that is where your joy will flourish.
Resist daily.
Oppose war.
Push to release the Epstein files— they are not in Iran.
🦢
Poem: Rumi's Guest House:
"This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they are a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out
for some new delight. The dark thought, the shame, the malice. meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in. Be grateful for whatever comes. because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond."
This poem arises from Rumi's vantage point of expertise and immersion in both conventional Islam (of which he was a noted scholar) and Sufi Islam, a whole other kettle of fish, which includes a distinctly non-dual point of view. Within that view the word 'beyond' can be read as meaning 'beyond conventional, egoic mind, or discursive thinking." We are alone with the Alone, and even the wispiest inkling of how One we are with each other brings with it great comfort.
Rumi also wrote, "Love is the sea wherein the intellects drowns." Amen to that. We cannot see the end result of anything, often, and unexpected consequences abound. That's because everything we can and cannot see is in continual, creative motion. We cannot escape this fact, so we must trust, along with the saints and seers who've come before us, that there is Beneficence at the heart of it all.
Love the whirling dervishes.