What I Believe, Part 3

“When everything big is out of control you start taking charge of the small things.” Louise Erdich

I had a boss once who liked to cook, and he said he absolutely could not start the process until the kitchen was clean. At the time I thought of it as a waste of time because he was only going to create more of a mess in the end, and why clean it twice? But I was missing the point. It’s all about the energy. Think about any creative process. There is a space in our psyche that needs to be void of distractions, a clear canvas if you will. It’s akin to finding the calm in the storm of our daily lives. When we can clear our desk off before we begin the writing project, or even sweep the floor, or wash the dishes, we are symbolically clearing a path for the creative flow that follows. Order de-stresses us and allows space for creativity. 

There is great appreciation when things flow nicely. The key word being flow. I flow better when my mind can rest in knowing that some part of my world is in order. And it’s taking care of little stuff that also enables me to hold space for the chaos that exists in the bigger world. When my small world is in order, I have the capacity to see the bigger world in its distress and put some flow into it, not by obsessing about what is going on that I have no control over, but by extending some of my own flow and feelings of peace and appreciation in prayer of one kind or another. It reminds me of the Buddhist prayer of Lovingkindness. This prayer is simple, but profound. It starts by blessing oneself and gradually expands outward from there, eventually wishing good intentions for the entire world and all beings, even our enemies. Like prayer of any kind, it aims to reach out and influence some one or some event in ways that are positive and helpful. 

Maybe this is the meaning behind the saying that peace in the world begins with me. We can feel so helpless about events or situations and yet perhaps we are not as helpless as we think if we realize that attending to our small gardens, our small things, can and will have a bigger impact on the bigger gardens, the bigger things. This is good for me to remember when I wake up feeling small and helpless about the state of the world. We are more powerful than we know.

Many of us wonder what we can possibly do when we hear or read of tragedy in the world, far away from the relative quiet and peacefulness of our own lives. What I believe is that many of us forget, or perhaps do not know, that our energy is not limited to this small room we occupy, and certainly not limited to the confines of this physical life we are living. Raising consciousness is about reminding ourself continually that we are not limited, that indeed with our intentions, our mindful thought, and our sincere actions, we can raise the energy of ourselves and potentially the energy of others, and the world itself.

In light of all the chaos and suffering that seems to be more amplified and more a part of the world we live in, and the experiences we share, let us remember who we really are – beings of light and love that can raise the consciousness of the world we live in with simple thoughts, words, and deeds. A great way to keep us in this reminder is to add the prayer of lovingkindness to our daily practices.

There are many variations and translations of this prayer, but what follows is the essence of it; if we all said this prayer with sincerity regularly, the world could be a very different place.

My heart fills with loving kindness. I love myself. May I be happy. May I be well. May I be peaceful. May I be free.

May all beings in my vicinity be happy. May they be well. May they be peaceful. May they be free.

May all beings in my city be happy. May they be well. May they be peaceful. May they be free.

May all beings in my state be happy. May they be well. May they be peaceful. May they be free.

May all beings in my country be happy. May they be well. May they be peaceful. May they be free.

May all beings on my continent be happy. May they be well. May they be peaceful. May they be free.

May all beings in my hemisphere be happy. May they be well. May they be peaceful. May they be free.

May all beings on planet Earth be happy. May they be well. May they be peaceful. May they be free.

May all my enemies be happy. May they be well. May they be peaceful. May they be free.

If I have hurt anyone, knowingly or unknowingly in thought, word or deed, I ask for their forgiveness.

If anyone has hurt me, knowingly or unknowingly in thought, word or deed, I extend my forgiveness.

May all beings everywhere, near or far, known or unknown, be happy. May they be well. May they be peaceful. May they be free. 

I believe that taking charge of the smaller things, is not only all you can do when everything big seems out of control, but that it can have impact beyond our wildest imagination.