Mid-week Inspiration,

Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?   To me and my simple sense of humour this is immensely funny.  Why? because it illustrates through Pavlov’s experiment synonymous with programming how easily a pattern of thinking causes a physiological response for humans as well as dogs.

When we repeat a pattern long enough it becomes a habit and we respond to it.  What happens when a phone rings, people reach out to answer it even when they are nowhere near home and the ring is familiar.  When most of us hear a siren our heartbeat escalates.  People who smoke crave those smokes at habitualized times.  Most of us most of the time respond to life automatically and unconsciously and only consider changing our patterns of behavior when we become aware that they are somehow causing us pain.

There is a great spiritual teaching in all the worlds’ great religious philosophies I heard expressed at a meditation I attend:  If you see a greater pleasure that comes from forsaking a lesser pleasure, well, be willing to forsake the lesser pleasure for the sake of the greater pleasure. (as quoted from Thanissaro Bhikkhu quoting the Buddha)

This simple philosophy has somehow been missed by all but the most dedicated spiritual seekers through the ages.  There seems to be an idea that the journey to greatness is only accomplished through suffering.  It certainly was believed by the religious teachers of my upbringing.  The idea of an Infinite Divinity has been interpreted it seems as synonymous with a stingy Deity. 

And I admit there is a sort of twisted logic to it.  How could one who has all withhold that all from us and apparently hold us in suffering.  But this is only an unfoldment of our own thought patterns, this is the bell ringing.  We by our own patterns of thought restrict the flow of abundance in our lives.

Imagine a child being given a new pencil to take notes with.  The child will continue to use that pencil until long after it becomes uncomfortably short. That is their pencil and they have had it forever.  It still works, they are unconscious that it is now a hindrance as they try to cram that last half inch into their little hands.  Likewise we outgrow continually thoughts and activities yet cling to them tenaciously.  Yet before we can replace them with a new idea we must, like that useless pencil, be willing to discard them.

Let go, let go, let go; in Christianity and other religions they say forgive, it means exactly the same thing.  Let go of your emotional investment in that old ‘pencil’, there are plenty of new ideas always available to enrich your life experience and bring you greater pleasure.

Today I wish for you a new pencil

                              ... and that you remember Pavlov.

In Love and Light,