Three Truths and One Wish | Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray)

I realized this morning that I am in rehab–life rehab. It’s a program of my own creation, but I am getting so much help from so many places. This led me to think about what it means to restore, reconstruct, or rehabilitate.

1. Truth: What you feed grows stronger. You have to be careful to “feed the right wolf.” Pema Chodron talks about this in the first chapter of her book “Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears.” She says:

There was a story that was widely circulated a few days after the attacks of September 11, 2001, that illustrates our dilemma. A Native American grandfather was speaking to his grandson about violence and cruelty in the world and how it comes about. He said it was as if two wolves were fighting in his heart. One wolf was vengeful and angry, and the other wolf was understanding and kind. The young man asked his grandfather which wolf would win the fight in his heart. And the grandfather answered, “The one that wins will be the one I choose to feed.”

Habits are difficult to break, especially if they’ve hardened into addiction. Letting go is hard–but it is possible and so worth it. I read a post yesterday on kind over matter by Tia Sparkles Singh “Letting Go: the Ultimate Act of Kindness” that I found really helpful.

2. Truth: Change is a process, a practice, a commitment, and it takes time and possibly many attempts. If you try and fail, you can try again, start over, begin again–just claim the magic “do-over.” Just like the seasons, the cycle of the moon, day and night, another chance comes around.

I mentioned these already in a post a few days ago, but they are worth repeating: Leo Babauta of zenhabits.net has written a few posts recently that I’ve found helpful: “How I Changed My Life, In Four Lines” and “The Half Step That Will Change Your Life.”

3. Truth: Help is available, if you want it. Once I was willing to start this process, this life rehab, help appeared, so much and so fast that I can barely keep up with it.

One wish: For those of us who are ready, I wish for us all the help and support we need. For those who haven’t yet begun, but who feel the longing to start, I wish that this post might serve to plant a seed, to stir your intention, to cause you to take the first step. For those who started and find themselves stuck again: I wish you a “do-over!” (Okay, so that was three wishes).

Go ahead. Make your wish.

I was so excited about doing these every Tuesday, and then I forgot yesterday! So, here’s the Tuesday Three Truths and One Wish…on Wednesday.

Truth: You are not broken, a problem to be fixed. You are not–no matter what advertising, religion, culture, or that little meanie with sharp teeth that lives in the dark might say–you are not basically bad, you are not unworthy or unlovable.
Truth: You have a basic goodness, a deep wisdom and compassion that are available to you every moment. It’s right there inside, waiting all the time. No matter what mistakes you have made or bad luck you have, it remains, it cannot be used up or “smashed to bits,” no matter how hard you might try and no matter what happens to you. You have everything you need already to save yourself.
Truth: Your basic nature, the “real” you, your Self, is like the sun. Weather comes, clouds and storms, and can make it seem like it’s gone, but it is always there, even when you can’t see it. In the same way that the sun is a universal truth, so is your basic goodness.

There’s a little flame inside us all
Some shine bright
Some shine small
The rains will come
And the waters rise
But don’t you ever lose your light
~~Addison Road, “This Little Light of Mine”