Letting go of the illlusion of security

In some ways I envy the people who still think that they have control over their life, who believe that they are financially secure, and who are making plans for ten-years out in the future. It seems to me that they are rearranging the furniture on the Titanic, waltzing to the music as the ship slowly sinks. While they may be in a happy dream for a short while longer, I don't envy their shock when they find themselves in the cold water.

I have nothing against being practical and taking care of business and your finances, if you are able to do it without much suffering. But if you hate your work and are doing it in order to survive, or in order to invest for the future, then it just won't work. Being miserable in the present in order to be happy in the future, is just a myth that we have learned to believe. It's not very different than the Christian doctrine of suffering in this life in order to go to heaven when you die. Folks, all we have is the present.

I hear people tell me that they will work at a job that is boring, that is deadening to their soul, for another ten years and then they will be secure. My first question is, "Do you know that you will live another ten years?" In the midst of tsunamis, earthquakes, nuclear plant meltdowns and 2012 approaching, do you really think that staying with the old paradigm of working hard and saving or investing, will work? But even if it did work, do you really have ten years to waste doing something that gives you no joy?

I am taking an energy class and last week the teacher talked about different levels of vibration. The lowest one was death. No surprise here. There is no vibration when you're dead. The second lowest was boredom. Not the kind of boredom that happens once in a while, when you have free time and don't know what to do (not that many people have that.) But the soul's boredom that comes from only doing things that support you materially, that allow you to survive and pay your bills. If there is no passion or purpose in your life, that kind of boredom will kill you--some faster than others. I know. I've been there.

So what are we giving our lives to? If we're giving our lives to security, we're going in the wrong direction. What will they write on our tombstone? She survived? I don't think so. As the world around us is falling apart, let's give up the illusion of security. It's time to check in with our heart or gut, and determine what our purpose is for being in this world. What gifts do we have that we are not offering? What is it that we would like to be remembered for? And let's take some small steps toward a life of purpose and passion.