We live in the best of times, we live in the worst of times.
These literary words echo the English author Charles Dickens who, in 1859, saw the publication of his A Tale of Two Cities, a novel set in London and Paris before the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. It was in 1859 that the Great Revival arose in Northern Ireland.
We live in the best of times, we live in the worst of times: on both sides of the proverbial coin of the realm in this world at this time, I cannot presume to know where you are in your life; I cannot even presume to know who you are, let alone what you do with what you have, but …
I do know this: you care deeply, and dearly, about your own comfort.
Now you might be thinking: “dude, are you gonna start up on having me leave my comfort zone, to stretch and stretch beyond my comfort zone like so many before you, ‘cuz if you are, I’m outta here!”
Au contraire. I will have you leaning into the many blessings of comfort so deeply, you’ll wonder how you ever thought that stretching beyond your comfort zone was ever a good idea in the first place.
Even if you’re a peak performance junkie.
Trust me on this one.
Now let’s get started.
Chunks of Meat on a Rock called Earth?
There are those who find, in no uncertain terms, cold comfort in viewing themselves as chunks of meat, chasing down rewards called scoobie snacks, on a giant rock called Earth, hurtling through time and space. Else, they view themselves as icons on the desktop of a flat earth.
Truth be told, these strawpeople are easily dismissed with “I just don’t care anymore.”
Either way, this cold comfort is no substitute for the comfort of a warm blanket, and here, please understand that I’m not only talking about material blankets that serve to warm the physical body, I’m also talking about spiritual blankets that serve to warm the emotional body.
These spiritual blankets are more like quilts that remain unique over time to their makers and users, comprised of best practices crafted and applied at any time of day or night, but most especially during the golden hour, like spiritual comforters that warm the heart of soul.
Weaving such a quilt for yourself always and forever starts here: let the current course of your life be a match for the reason or season of your being. If chasing after peak performance is not your schtick, then pause, and let me help you embrace the reason or season of your being.
Remember, Reasons and Seasons Galore!
I’m going to stick my neck out here and surmise that there are as many reasons and seasons for being as there are creatures who can entertain them. Creatures like you and me, who contain and carry around celestial sparks to be good and do good ~ and still know this deep down.
In spite of the chronic stress, in spite of expectations not your own, in spite of a grasping sense of advancement and achievement, in spite of all those tippy-toey walks on eggshells on the way to apathy and exhaustion, you still care enough to gasp: “who cares about any of this?”
Adding: “one day, I’ll be dead and gone and no one will remember me anyway.”
Wonderful. Beautiful. Savor this pronouncement. Relish these words. They’re absolutely golden ~ until you realize they speak a terrible lie, a worn-out, pucker-faced babe born of apathy and exhaustion.
Compared to days of old, do many of us not already live as kings and queens?
Diagnosis: spiritual nihilism.
Prognosis: a meaningless life and death . . .
Um, prescription?
So glad you asked.
I won’t insult your intelligence by telling you “you make your own meaning.” Of course you do. Does this not go without saying? But … which meaning? This one or that? And by whose standards? Yours or theirs? Questions, questions, questions. So many meaningful questions.
Alright, let’s sink into the warm, kind, soft, gentle curve of a newborn babe’s smile.
Here and Now and Forevermore
If we dare to cop a peak at what’s happening in this world at this time, we might not like what we see, and yes, this is an understatement. Having thoroughly plumbed the depths of good, bad, and ugly, I can offer you this: we will survive; not only this, we will all thrive in our own way.
Even in the midst of apparent chaos.
And I say apparent, not to minimize the gravity of the chaos, but to bring perspective to this chaos from the heights of a vast expanse of space in time, if you get my meaning, which I trust you do. Case in point: pick a pocket of chaos and pull back; dwell in presence; be a witness; and …
Let go, let be, and, if you’re feeling it, let God, in your own way, on your own terms, at your own pace, so long as you embrace the many and various blessings of peace and prosperity in harmony with unity.
Now I grant you that, individually, you and I, or anyone else for that matter, might not survive what is to come, but remember this: countless, credible, credentialed doctors have told us, based on studies of the highest caliber, that the phenomenon of apparent death is a grand cosmic illusion, albeit a very convincing one that serves us in ways we might not yet understand ~ or can only imagine.
You, the essence of you, cannot die; you will be remembered in more ways than you know.
one day, I’ll be dead and gone and no one will remember me anyway
one day, this body of mine will be no more, and I will have moved on
Again, this flip of the script need not be a mere matter of belief, but a knowing, a deep-down-into-the-ground kind of knowing that infuses and imbues your being ~ and your doing, and your having, and your doing the best you can with what you have here and now and forevermore.
Emergency Care: The Sacred Container
Before I lead you to the promised land of milk and honey, on the way to extreme care, calm, and comfort, allow me to introduce what I call the Sacred Container, a form of emergency care for the me, myself, and I. As far as I know, this idea is original to me, one born of experience under the influence of extreme catalyst, which I believe qualifies me to speak of extreme care, calm, and comfort.
First, the Sacred Container is entirely conscious in nature, built entirely by means of attention and intention. Second, the Sacred Container is a form of emergency care for the me, myself, and I, which means you cannot appeal to anyone’s help under the influence of extreme catalyst.
Extreme catalyst? Any stimulus for emotional or spiritual growth that renders you incapacitated in the extreme. Think “hangovers from hell;” think “injuries, surgeries, assaults, accidents, overdoses, or illnesses that leave you wishing you could return to your mother’s womb.”
You get the idea.
A personal example: I awaken feeling paralyzed; my breath has slowed to a crawl; my mood is so depressed I can barely think; on the inside, I feel as empty as can be, inside a cold, dark shell of my former self. If this weren’t enough, my head starts to swim, in a world out of control.
Who to be? What to do? I remember (faintly) the Sacred Container.
Thankfully, I recall (barely) the instructions to construct one: (1) start with the breath; always, always, always start with the breath: (a) focus on the breath with sacred intent; (b) pair soothing words with shallow breaths, e.g., reeee (inhale) leeeease (exhale) on (inhale) peeeeace (exhale); (c) regulate the pace of your breath: inhale deeply, exhale slowly (remember: “slow and steady wins the race”).
With the breath under control, enter the Witness; simply be a witness to your experience, both inner and outer. Just note this or that thought or feeling, this or that urge or impulse, this or that sight or sound, this or that smell or taste ~ whatever draws your attention in the moment.
Be here now: “I am master of my fate state ~ not the other way around.”
If done patiently and persistently, this emergency witnessing will open up some inner space to be selective in your awareness of environmental stimuli. Selective awareness under extreme catalyst comes in two parts: (1) locate a pleasant, soothing stimulus, if any, and rest your awareness on that; else, (2) locate an unpleasant stimulus (one at a time if there are many); embrace it with loving intent.
If you’re especially fortunate, dwell in stillness (inner) or dwell in silence (outer).
The affirmation, “I embrace this with loving intent” is code for “I have now reached the promised land, the kingdom within.” Why? For no other reason than because loving intent draws on a selective imagination (where anything comes and where anything goes), as required or desired. To echo the wisdom of Albert Einstein: knowledge takes you from A to B; imagination encircles the world …
Imagine a state of perfect health, fitness, and vitality; let go, let be, let God.
Addendum: never, ever forget: “and this too shall pass.”
Now let’s return to our regular “programming” …
Best Practices for Better Golden Hours
You set your golden hour after you awaken from a slumber with a selection of best practices.
The aim of your golden hour is to garner a sacred, robust sense of care, calm, and comfort with spiritually meaningful practices that remain attuned and aligned with your reason or season for being, or that serve to clear the way for you to identify your reason or season for being.
Your gauge of success with this endeavor in daily life? You remain on top of your safety triggers from the ground of your being with a strong and stable tendency to respond rather than react to the events you encounter and experience in the course of living the best version of your life.
I repeat, for emphasis: in the course of living the best version of your life.
Here’s a basket of best practices that I hand-picked myself to help bring you extreme care, calm, and comfort to your golden hours and, in the process, help you attune to the reason or season for your being:
1) check in with yourself: upon awakening, get a handle on the quality and vitality of your being: what is happening to me, here and now? Am I in need of soothing? If so, what can I do, right here, right now?
2) soothe yourself, as required: if your life is in chaos, if you awaken feeling out of sorts, or if you feel neither motivated nor inspired, draw on your list of ways to soothe and pick one; you do have a list, yes?
3) turn down the volume: pause, breathe, and tune into thoughts that distract you from the aim of your golden hour; this might mean turning off your device or making space and time for solitary reflection (the aim of the golden hour is to garner a sacred, robust sense of care, calm, and comfort with spiritually meaningful practices that remain attuned and aligned with your reason or season for being, or that serve to clear the way for you to identify your reason or season for being)
4) soften up any fear: having turned down the volume, be wholly present to any persistent fear or fearfulness that lurks in the background of your being; process it with your favorite tool of emotional release (hints: the Sedona Method, the Presence Process, a daily practice of mindfulness)
5) tap inner guidance: tap, tune, and trust your internal sources of wisdom, however you care to define them, and however you care to refine them in practice with quiet, solitary moments of contemplation (key: stop everything you’re doing and just be: sit, stand, or recline at peace, preferably in silence, and find the stillness within, by dwelling in presence from a witness perspective; if you’re fortunate enough to do so, immerse yourself in natural surroundings, and just be; just be)
6) meditate on inspiration: not feeling particularly creatively or spiritually inspired? No worries, just be alert to your surges of inspiration as you tap, tune, and trust the depths of your inner guidance
This savvy six-pack of best practices is but a taste of juicy goodness, a launchpad of divinity for restoring or refreshing your sense of care, calm, and comfort ~ just a small taste of best practices with which and from which to attune or align with the reason or season of your being.
I suggest making some or even all of these practices conscious and deliberate, at least at first, at least until you turn them into habits. I suggest that you define or refine this savvy six-pack to suit your own taste.
Goddess Worship: Magnetic and Metaphoric
For more suggestions, I invite you to read my post, Worship the Goddess.
In that post, I offer up nine perennial pathways to the divine feminine spirit, a spirit that can move you to spontaneous, effortless action, if you care enough to let it move through the mind and body of your being. Here’s a selection of modified versions of those pathways to divinity:
1) immerse yourself in sublime natural beauty and harmony: first, explore what this means to you in terms of beauty and harmony: what is naturally sublime to you? experiment with ways and means by which to actually experience your notions of natural grandeur and splendor
2) contemplate your life with heartfelt adoration and devotion: first, explore your meaning of heartfelt adoration and devotion: where in your life do you see it and feel it? tap and tune into the divine feminine spirit with a contemplation that is heartfelt in its adoration and devotion
3) welcome sensation in awe and wonder, majesty and ecstasy: first, explore what it even means to welcome your sensations with a receptivity that borders on divinity; give yourself permission to tap and tune into awe and wonder, to lose yourself in majestic or ecstatic experience
4) abstain in solitude and simplicity, with or without austerity: first, explore your meaning of abstention; this might mean starving a habit you perceive as bad; it might mean intermittent fasting; consider a media fast: consider taking a day (or week) off from engaging digital media
5) plumb the depths of your divine wisdom with understanding: first, explore what it means for you to enter the depths of wisdom; do you see yourself consulting a book of wisdom? dialoguing with the goddess within? for inspiration, make a practice of consulting or contemplating
6) celebrate movement with love and joy in the midst of mystery: first, explore the meaning and magic of harmonious movement through the imagination, even if you feel indisposed; draw on your sense of mystery even as you summon love and joy in your harmonious movement
Fair warning: some of what you’ve read here may seem strange or unfamiliar. If so, don’t let this intimidate you, or deter you from trying it out for yourself, even if this means going out of your way to manifest a fine and private place for yourself within which to practice in secret.
Trust me, it is so worth it.
Rulers, Servants, Peak Performers, and …
In closing, I’ll let you in on a dirty little secret: humanity ~ not this world, but humanity ~ is presently at war with itself in ways that have become obvious. There are those who would rule this world from above, while having those below them sacrifice themselves and each other (notice: I did not say “while sacrificing those below them”), and there are those who would serve this world from a level playing field.
And then there are those who would have you give up your comfort zone.
Rulers, servants, and peak performers: each relate to care, calm, and comfort in their own way. The first will not rest until they have won the game of control through lust, greed, and violence; the second will not rest until they are done serving; and the third will simply not rest.
In view of these options, I invite you to turn your back on these trends, to lean into the many blessings of care, calm, and comfort so truly and deeply and warmly you’ll wonder how you ever thought that stretching beyond your comfort zone was ever a good idea in the first place.
Did you catch that? I said “care, calm, comfort; truly, deeply, warmly.” Respectively.
Wait, am I saying that everyone else is wrong for being rulers, servants, and peak performers? No. Not wrong. Just different. And here, I refer you to their programming and conditioning, whether self-imposed or other-imposed: they will always do what they do ~ until they don’t.
In view of true care, deep calm, and warm comfort, let your perception of the current course of your life be a match for the reason or season of your being, however this might manifest for you at this time. With true care, deep calm, and warm comfort, you can live in not knowing.
The witness, your witness, lives in not knowing, but there’s rarely if ever any insecurity in that; there is, however, a feeling, a profound feeling, a feeling that everything ~ everything ~ that is happening here and now is at peace ~ pitch perfect beyond belief, just as it needs to be.
And so, there’s a new game in town; it’s called CCC (Care Calm Comfort) or, if you prefer, call it Triple C. Now ask yourself, dear reader: is CCC my game? In viewing and treating CCC as an infinite game, might I not find the best version of me? And if so, what could CCC be for me?
May the peace that passes all understanding be with you now.
There’s a peace, but it’s not boring; it’s very alive. There’s a stillness in the air, but there’s always movement. There’s a deep silence inside, but there’s always beautiful sounds, within … and without. There’s a harmony. There’s a love of a depth that very few people experience at this time. There’s a deepness of connection, of being one with another, but it doesn’t exclude anyone else; it includes, always includes. And there’s a movement: nothing’s fixed, nothing is expected to be fixed; it lives in not knowing, but there’s no insecurity to that; there’s always a feeling that everything that is happening is perfect, just as it needs to be ~ Paul Lowe (One World)