For a Truth-Seeker, nothing is ever wasted. Each physical disturbance, personal conflict, life crisis; in short, every troubling event in our lives has special meaning for us. In fact, anything that can shake us out of our everyday, hum-drum stupor is irreplaceable. More than anything else, it is our very pain and suffering that can awaken us to what it is we ought to be doing with our life. If we see we are going the wrong way, it is easy to change direction. And it is this point of departure – from our long held beliefs about ourselves – that we must arrive.
The following instruction from Vernon Howard addresses the very heart of our challenge. The way is straight and the gate is narrow. And thankfully, the way out is known.
“Humiliation Is Your Salvation
Endure personal disgrace to the very end.
Let disgrace have its way with you.
Be completely humiliated, cast down!
Be a Nothing.
Nothing left but disgrace, shame, regrets.
Welcome the shame, the disgrace, the loss of respect.
Collapse completely.
Don’t fight the fact you did wrong, hurt someone, said something stupid.
Only pain can save you!!
You have been wasting your suffering, your humiliation. Next time you do some small thing wrong, picture a tidal wave moving upon you and washing over you. Don’t do a thing to save yourself. You are not going to argue at all. Suffer completely from it.
When you are no one, you are someone.”
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Inner Life Exercise
“Be a human doormat.” ~Murray Oxman
Yes, a human doormat. Let everyone walk all over you. Do nothing to gain respect or to make yourself look gracious in another person’s eyes. Argue with no one. If you are wrongly accused of something, if your good name is challenged, watch your reaction. There is nothing to do but listen and feel your nothingness. Tremendous relief from yourself will surely follow. And amazingly, the people around you will feel a sense of quietude as well.
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There comes a time when a man or women cannot justify any longer going along with society’s current thinking and ways. They decide to walk independently. Seeing his or her present unstable inner foundation, they resolve to throw caution to the wind and walk ‘inwardly’ in a much different direction. If they persist in this direction, everything about the worlds ways will be explained to them and they will find the security and happiness they have always secretly yearned for.
If these explanations above seems somewhat extreme, they are not, but in reality it is a person’s present wrong inner location that is extreme. You were not put here to be anxious and worried. Once a person turns around and starts heading in the right direction, and they know from themselves, because it finally feels Right, everything starts to change for the better. Going into action with these exercises help you find your true happiness. And happiness is unlimited. Exchange your worry for happiness sounds like a very good deal.