The other day I received an amazing message from a friend–one of those “right message at the right time” experiences. In describing the upcoming changes in my life, I mentioned that I had faith that something would be under my foot as I took my next step–that things would be okay. Here’s what he wrote:
“I can tell you only this, if you choose the path you know you must, and it sounds like you want to, there is really nothing under foot and no landing. The practice as Archarya Lyon would tell you is one without reference, groundless.”
As my teacher, Dzongsar Khentyse would say it, there is simply nothing to grasp onto. It’s all about doing it in freefall and enjoying the ride.”
Automatic Response #1: Crap!
Automatic Response #2: Crap, he’s right.
As much as I would like to believe that there are things I can control, things upon which I can rely, the reality is that life is a freefall from moment to moment: it is what it is. My friend’s words served as a snap to get my attention, a knock on my head to see if I was paying attention. Because it’s so much easier for me to cling to any ground I can… instead of allowing myself the freedom to be without ground. And after all, flying can be much more fun than desperately clinging to an illusion.
It made me think about that scene in Disney’s “Earth” where the fledglings are high up in a tree, and their mother gives them flying lessons: she jumps out of the tree, flies to the ground, looks back to the fledglings and calls for them to follow. And one by one, each baby bird takes the leap, flaps its wings, and lands safely on the ground… some more gracefully than others, but all of them successful. The air, after all, is where they belong.
So I’ve shifted my perspective about the rapidly-approaching unknown. Perhaps life is calling for me to stop clinging to my tree and just jump already! Instead of something to fear, it’s a flying lesson. Whoo hoo! Watch me flap my wings and soar!
I cannot wait to see what you draw forth
