Spark of Inspiration, Sparkives

Mud Baths

11-18-2004

Yesterday a friend of mine, feeling desperation, said, "A lot of that stuff is like a guy up to his eyeballs in mud saying golly gee, let's look at the bright side of this." I told him, "Yes, some of it is, but what the teachers I align with would probably say is step number one: grab one of the dozen vines hanging down around you and get yourself out of the mud."

In other words, if you are in circumstances that are "making you miserable" then do what you can right now to change the circumstances. You are not trapped. You have choice.

They do not expect any of us to forever "take our lumps" and be grateful for them while our souls are screaming for something different. Why do our souls scream for something different? Why wouldn't they? If you knew you were infinite and unlimited and you had come into this specialized physical focus to enjoy the glory and lusciousness of the experiences, and then you spent your time "making donuts" on autopilot, barely existing, wouldn't part of you scream for something-- anything-- new and different?

I told my friend, "If the same old same old remained tolerable, you would stay there forever, and miss yourself." We are not here to struggle and suffer and barely get by. "Mediocre" was not really part of the idea.

Since I work in clay, which can seem a lot like mud in the throwing process when the slip gets everywhere, my friend's mud idea stuck with me. This morning in my studio I thought about it again. People take mud baths for pleasure. Why do they enjoy it? Because they know they can get out when they want to.

What a wonderful analogy for the physical experience. Seen from broader perspective, even mud can be fun. We always know we can get out.

How do we realize that while we're in the middle of a seemingly "limited" focus? This is why the teachers suggest we own our creations, even if we don't really understand how we created them. If I own the idea that I created the experience of being in the mud bath, it is then easier to understand, to know, that I can get out.

Sometimes just owning it can totally transform the situation. Play with the idea for a little while. "Hmm, I chose to create this." You may be yelling, "I never would've chosen this!" (Been there, done that!!!) That's okay-- you might not have preferred it but that doesn't mean you didn't choose it by your focus of attention and your definitions-- you just didn't understand that's how you get what you get. Don't immediately go into accusations or "how" or "why", just roll it around in your consciousness for a bit. "I chose to create this." Feel it out.

If I chose to create it, and I really own that I chose to create it, then I can choose to create something else. I might not understand how or why or any of that but now I understand that I have the ability to choose something else and to make changes, and opportunities will present themselves if I pay attention.

Sometimes if we're really ensconced, processes or steps can be helpful. That's what so many of these books and programs are for. Pasting a smile on your face when you feel like yelling is not what these guys are going for, though. Yes, one of the things they will say is to change your definitions, because that will change how you feel. "This is not necessarily negative-- this is a neutral situation and I can get positive results if I look for them." If you already feel like yelling though then DO something to make a change in the circumstances. It doesn't have to be a major life rearrangement, although it can be. Even small actions in the direction of what makes your heart sing can make a big difference.

2004 Beth Shearon