Life is more pleasurable for the person who is surrendered.
But surrender doesn’t sound like as much fun as a vacation in Hawaii, so people book tickets there, instead of realizing that the aloha spirit isn’t about the place you go, but the capacity you have for it within.
It’s okay, there’s nothing wrong with pursuing life’s pleasures. It’s not a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ issue at all. There is no judgment.
It’s just that it’s not about that. And sometimes, we humans reach a point in our journey where we take those vacations and get those massages and drink that wine and eat that food and realize that it’s just not doing it for us.
It’s because it’s not about life’s pleasures, ultimately. It’s our ability to receive them.
It makes me think of two funky, not poetic things but I’m going to say them anyway:
First thing it makes me think of is when someone’s cooking a piece of fatty meat that they want the flavor to go into, the chef stabs it with a knife throughout the thick layer of fat before they pour the marinade on. The flavor of the marinade gets soaked into the places that are open and able to take it in.
See, told you, not poetic. But you get it. I mean, no one has to stab you — but it’s about being open to receive the flavors of life that makes your life flavorful. You get it.
Second unpoetic thing it makes me think of is when my dad was coaching me in softball. I played first base, short stop and then, for the last half of my sporting years, I was the catcher.
I remember in my introduction to the game my dad had to remind me, “In these positions, you’re involved in almost every play. Be ready, but don’t over do it. If you stab at the ball with your mitt, you’ll close up too soon and miss the ball. Get into position and the ball will come right into your pocket.”
Okay, so twice with the stabbing reference but again, you get the point.
The pleasures of life to me are about being open and surrendered.
Then, the coolest thing happens in that state of opened and surrendered is this: you don’t have to wait for Hawaii or a great bottle of wine to enjoy the pleasures of life. Instead, all of life becomes your pleasure.
Have a beautiful, open, surrendered, pleasure-filled day.
– Stacey Robbins