When Things Fall Apart

When the solid ground beneath us literally washes away with one wave. What do we do?

Pema Chodron (When Things Fall Apart) words remind me:

“Each day, we’re given many opportunities to open up or shut down. The most precious opportunity presents itself when we come to the place where we think we can’t handle whatever is happening….

Most of us do not take these situations as teachings. We automatically hate them. We run like crazy. We use all kinds of ways to escape- all addictions stem from this moment when we meet our edge and we just can’t stand it.

Basically, disappointment, embarrassment and all these places where we just cannot feel good are a sort of death. We’ve lost our ground completely; we are unable to hold it together and feel that we’re on top of things. Rather than realizing that it takes death for there to be birth, we just fight against the fear of death. “

Friends, I know you are struggling in various ways right now. You have to be at work as a health care worker or retail cashier, trying to hold a society together. Or you’re home, alone, trying to help save the world. Or home with children trying to keep a ship righted that feels like it’s sinking. I know.

I also know, that our real solid ground, the real container for all of our lives - is within us. When I lead a group or do an individual session, I often remind participants that I am not giving them anything. I am helping to point them in the direction of their inner resource. Their inner well. I cannot give it to them, and I also cannot take it away.

True solid ground beneath your feet is mobile. It’s travel sized. It comes with you. And sometimes it takes the collapsing of external structures, things we’ve relied on to take the edge off, to see our true beautiful resilience, shining and hopeful under neath a pile of doubt and fear and anxiety.

As Rumi said

“You have a source inside you, a cool spring that sometimes stops flowing, frozen or clogged with silt… if your heart feels numb and metallic, walk out into the sun, or whatever the mystery is that makes your inner spring well up. “

You can do this. We’ll do it together.