THE NATURE OF LIFE

[Mary Cook]

THE NATURE OF LIFE
By Mary Cook, M.A., R.A.S.

There is destruction, disease, disaster, and death in this world. It is a natural process, however modern man has greatly accelerated and escalated it. With our larger brains, we have wanted to believe that we could control our planet in accordance with our short sighted, selfish wills. We forgot to consider how our decisions and actions would affect current and future generations on the earth. We neglected to consult our soul, to see if this is part of our purpose here. We forgot that the most valuable life experiences are free, and that hedonism and materialism lead us further from health and happiness. The consequences of this lack of consciousness, are the gross pollution of our planet and its inhabitants, and the impoverishment of critical survival resources.

It is not just actions of greed, it is thoughts and feelings that we are entitled to take more than we give, that set in motion a domino of disaster. And below the surface of greed hides fear. We are afraid of being deprived of what we feel we need. We fear that life will betray us, and that God will punish us or turn his back on us. And from this fear, we empower the lowest energies of our mind. It is we who have betrayed ourselves. From the wounds we absorbed in childhood, to the rebellious, wild arrogance of adolescence, to the mighty defenses of adulthood, we have turned our backs on our true selves. We put our precious energy into negative thoughts, feelings and actions, rationalizing that this is the way the world is.

There is birth, healing, renewal and positive evolution. This is how nature demonstrates to us the healthiest response to contrasting forces. We humans however, tend to get overly attached to negative energy. Our most common response to a bad experience is to expand upon and enlarge its negativity. We add outrage, vengeance, blame, bitterness, pessimism, helplessness, entitlement, martyrdom and catastrophizing, to what we don’t like. We can spend hours recounting horrible experiences with the corresponding feelings and thoughts, to everyone we know and sometimes to strangers. This reliving of problems without a healing focus, magnifies and attracts similar experiences. We can also deny and repress trauma, or run away from it, distracting ourselves with various versions of drama. When we bury something alive, it retains its power and energy to keep us in the problem just as much as morbid preoccupation.

We can complain about things for twenty years or an entire lifetime, rather than move into positive solution. We mistakenly think that negative energy protects us, but it is only positive energy that sets us free. Our attachment to the problem means that when life presents gifts and miracles, we are unable to fully receive and enjoy them, because they don’t compensate for how we feel we’ve been “wronged”, or because there’s no guarantee that the “good” will remain. Expecting to have constant gratification of all desires and no unwanted experiences, puts us in an adversarial relationship with the nature of life.

A realistic view of life accepts earthly duality and human free will, and focuses on the never-ending opportunities for learning and spiritual growth. When something occurs that we don’t like, we can determine if the problem arose as a result of our recklessness, neglect, abuse, or a lack of discipline, mindfulness or responsibility. If so, it can inspire us to change and grow. This is how life teaches us, by giving us a clearer picture of our problems and ourselves. If the difficulty doesn’t seem directly connected to our own behaviors, the same response is in order. Life has given us a golden opportunity to develop character strengths, practice spiritual principles, reach out to others, learn something new, and mature.

How we move from negative to positive thoughts, feelings and actions affects current and future generations on this earth. We are here to align ourselves with the grace of Heaven and bring a healing force to this earthly life. We must heal our wounds and surrender small-minded willfulness and defense mechanisms, in order to live our highest truth. We are here to put our precious energy into the most powerful and humbling experience of all, the eternal flow of spiritual love.

WWW.MARYCOOKMA.COM Mary Cook has a Master’s degree in psychology and is a registered addiction specialist, with 33 years of clinical practice and 29 years of University teaching experience. She is a writer, a national speaker, and has a private practice in San Pedro, CA. Mary is available for telephone and office counseling, consulting, guided meditation, speaking engagements and in-service training. Her book “Grace Lost and Found” will be published early spring 2010. Mary is currently writing another book, which is a parable for enlightenment. Please see her website for further information. Contact her at 310-517-0825.