I was listening to The Beatles when Let It Be came up on the playlist. Funny thing is I often listen to tunes and hum along without paying attention to the words (I can hear songwriters groaning in the background). Today the lyrics struck a chord and I hit the rewind button, specifically when the song mentioned Mother Mary appearing and saying "Let it Be, Let it Be"
Initially I mistook Mother Mary for 'Mary Mother of Jesus' (being Catholic, you can see how I made that leap). But apparently, Paul McCartney's mom was named Mary and he dreamt of her. Wow. That gives it a whole new meaning - I was touched by the story.
Let It Be: A Powerful Message
So it struck me how insightful this message is. What you resist persists. And the more we resist, the more it persists. I have heard this a million times but I don't know who gave birth to the idea.
If the Beatles predate the Law of Attraction folks, they may be the groundbreakers (no, really!?!). Eckhart Tolle explores this topic in his book, A New Earth, suggesting the best plan is to accept our troubles for what they are, and deal with unbearable ones by:
- Removing yourself from it, if humanly possible.
- If not, accepting it for now, as this too shall pass ...
Raging against the situation isn't a viable option because it would only drain our personal energy. If we can't change the situation or remove ourselves from it, acceptance is the easiest way to live with it. This isn’t to say we give up if we feel powerless, because that feeling can be an illusion.
The difference between wanting to change it and being able to is the reason for Reinhold Niehbuhr's Serenity Prayer, which encourages to ask for clarity so that we can know the difference between those situations that we can and can't change.
Earlier this year I felt stuck in a situation that I desperately wanted out of. I threw inner tantrums draining my energy and adding to my stress. Thankfully, nothing lasts forever and the time came for me to move on. Hindsight having the benefit of 20/20 vision; I now know that I would have saved myself lots of stress by relaxing.
Letting external circumstances determine our state of mind is akin to living on a roller coaster. In A New Earth, Tolle explains exactly how happiness is an inside job. He also teaches us how to create that bliss NOW. I highly recommend this book, if you haven't read it. For starters, it is helping me switch off the mental chatter. That in itself makes it so much easier to just let it be, let it be ...
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