Typically, when looking for a solution or answer the natural gaze is set upon an outer view, specifically the end goal. Whether it is the past or the future, the fixation is most often outside of the present.
The term presence is quite ordinary, it is the same for mindfulness, these repetitive words have great importance but without context have no meaning. To be present means to be conscious of the moment, very simple but easy to skip over. It is more than merely forgetting everything else and being in a state of false peace. What’s more important is making the darkness conscious.
The study of the self is to study the history of the present.
Everything in a person’s reality that has been normalized, conditioned and familiar has become unconscious. In that sense, it is hidden and unrecognized. In rare moments when the present is briefly accessed consciously, the mind can be aware of the hear’s pain, wounds and suffering.
A person that has to distract themself from the present is someone that is holding pain, holding trauma; a wound. If they are not capable of being present and mindfully choose to wield their authority, outside forces especially addiction will take control.
Pain is the center of all habitual destructive behaviors, because it gives momentary relief but longterm complications. Addictions that have become dependent relationships, instill and inundate its adherent with negative narratives, scripts and emotions identified with that pain to further entrap them.
Addictions depend on the ignorance and weakness of their adherents to survive on their energy. The question is, what kind of entity depends on the weakness of others? Something that’s even more weak and dependent than the adherent.
It doesn’t take a ton to unravel illusions, it only requires that you ask the right questions.
Misfortune is naturally followed by negativity. This is usually because the collective unconscious of other peoples thoughts have been indoctrinated into one’s beliefs.
In the context of myself, the false script is identified as, I can only find joy once I’m healed or cured; joy cannot be found through pain; positivity is only found in good fortune; you can only be liked if you are presentable, clean and have an attractive appearance; you have to fight your way to be healed.
Given that these are all preconceived illusions, which are overt when casted in the light, they are substance-less against objectivity. The way the illusions are known to be false is by the perspicacious ability to have a widened perspective.
There’s the myopic lens that focuses on the problem and the negative emotion, but look from the widened perspective of a higher source, detaches the importance from the brief experience.
Life is but a brief experience that offers a wide spectrum of possibilities and opportunities. If positive events and good fortune are the only experiences we can accept what would be the point?
When viewed in that sense, what could be better than the present moment? All the outside forces that pull us away from the present are a means of stealing this gift.
In the world of illness, fighting, struggle, battle and resistance are often associated with it. People do not allow themselves to take joy unless they are healed or cured.
At that point it is as if they are telling themselves to suffer until they get over the illness. Take notice into the phrase “get over”, already an obstacle is created for themselves. Another phrase that goes hand in hand is “get through it”, these are associations with burden and obstacle.
The problem with this is it becomes a weight that is carried out of suffering in a needless situation. Excessive willpower is required to sustain the battle, which takes considerable effort, time and takes away energy that could be used towards healing or personal development.
By the time the illness has passed the person will have realized the lost time gone by without actually living it. Almost like they were living out someone else’s goal. Many people that have gone through illness describe it as fighting demons and an upward battle. Excessive importance is given to the future, the end goal, the cure. This approach is not the only way of doing things. An alternative exists that’s more fulfilling and pleasurable.
There’s a lack of presence and attention to pain. Instead of resisting pain, misfortune or other negative occurrences, maintain an optimistic attitude.
Now, how could someone take joy from their own misfortune? Like I’ve pointed out, darkness has to be made conscious. Healing from an illness, I don’t attribute much importance to my perceived appearance or one dimensional standards.
Although healing an illness comes with pain, I don’t view the illness as the problem, it is merely a symptom of the problem. In this short life, I’ve come to realize that this too shall pass.
Crisis represents both danger and opportunity, when perceived this way, pain can be an opportunity to strengthen the roots of one’s character, it can expose one’s flaws, illusions and misconceptions; it has a way of purifying one’s soul and mind to be both healthy and sound; it has the ability to give access to exiled parts of the self.
There can be many benefits to a crisis or illness as I’ve come to understand. The joy that comes with acknowledging and being present with my own pain comes from, the increased awareness of myself, forgotten aspects of my spirit, the purifying of the heart, discovering a new passion.
These small but numerous sparks of light enable me to enjoy the presence of the moment and not have to view illness as a burden or a battle that I can’t wait to get over with like waiting out a prison sentence. There’s a reason why king Solomon inscribed the phrase “this too shall pass” on the inside of his ring.