Everything is Happening Simultaneously
When I was a youngster and something challenging happened in our lives my mother would say: “This too shall pass.” Then, I thought she was an insightful woman, because the rough waters during which the phrase was expressed eventually did pass. Although it seemed that as I got older, the intervals between challenging times were less and the predicaments seemed more frequent. What was an occasional expression became more and more persistent, it was practically a daily mantra!
It seemed as if she was using the phrase “this too shall pass,” a lot. Either it was in anticipation of more difficulties to ward off upcoming challenges, or in her reality we were experiencing a different phase in the same passage and she was repeating, this too shall pass to harness more energy and endurance. One thing my mother exemplified was faith because of this I thought this phrase was from sacred writings.
But, my research came up short! That was not the case. My deeply religious and faith-driven mother merely invoked this too shall pass, because it worked. She had surrendered her life to a higher power and lived as such. It was not a giving up or giving in. It was a release of her control over things and thus an allowing of the divine to work through her. That must have been what enabled my parents to send me hundreds of miles away from home to receive professional dance training at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in Canada when I was in my early twenties.
Undoubtedly, the imprint (both spiritually and artistically) stuck and as I matured I found myself whispering from my heart, this too shall pass. The practice imbedded in my young mind as a verbal response to real life events—this too shall pass—was expressed during unforeseen events.
Early in my dance career in a manner of acceptance this too shall pass, was my response to disappointing casting decisions, working through minor injuries, even the sadness of relationships gone awry. The phrase seems compatible with all of life to remind us that what seems terrifying and horrible in the moment will pass for the greater good, eventually.
My mother’s words I believe were less a plea to just get through things but a strategy for standing strong in the face of adversity, to keep going in spite of outer appearances, like the words of Julian of Norwich, a 14th century anchoress who wrote:
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and every manor of thing shall be well.
Written at a time when major societal upheavals were occurring from the Black Death plague to religious and governmental disturbances; she focused on something much deeper, an inner well and put her trust in a higher power. Therefore, Julian was drawn to participate as a messenger of truth through a demonstration of strength.
No time to become overly engrossed in the darkness and the disorder, but perhaps, an opportunity or many opportunities to push through the disappointments and challenges with a certain verve; time for some deep inner work and outer action as Maya Angelou suggests:
We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.
What’s even more inspiring to me, since discovering brain-body integration over two decade ago, the influence of focusing on a higher vision or more empowering image influences our response to life and spontaneously moves one into a state that transcends the visible reality.
Dr. David Hawkins recognized through research and practice the power of the mind to harness goodness, wholeness, and truth. He taught that we are endowed with incredible power:
The world and humanity were created by God and are divinely inspired and intrinsically holy.
Tapping into truth, love, and goodness are magnets for more of the same; from healing to enormous creativity. We are victims of circumstances only to the degree that we give our minds over to something else; literally giving our power away.
Rather than quote extensively from his writings in this essay, I commend to you a careful reading of Power vs. Force. The suggestion comes with a warning—while the read is fairly straightforward and will cause a shift in perspective, it is not for everyone. It is for those who are willing to step into some deep personal inner work and take responsibility for their lives.
Dr. David Hawkins’ books are for those seeking to live into the daily, hourly, minute by minute practice of love.
Sending love and peace, dear readers.