Rebel With A Cause

A rebel is one who trusts nature, not man-made structures, who trusts that if nature is left alone, everything will be beautiful.
Osho

When you step back and consider the mass mentality of our nation, it is easy to see that living mindfully, allowing ourselves to experience the world without the constant interference of thought, is a deviation from the norm. The intellectual life is what most people consider to be normal. This means using our brains to solve problems created by our brains, or, even worse, problems created by the brains of others. It is the pinnacle of nonconformity to drop the habitual thought patterns that dominate our lives and experience peace and connection with the universe in the present moment.

The great irony is that we actually live mindlessly when we allow ourselves to get lost in thought. When we switch to autopilot we allow conditioned brain movements to take the place of true intelligence. Many great teachers saw this as a form of self-hypnosis or even insanity and did their best to point it out. The response they received was often less than enthusiastic. More often than not, the tag of heretic was pinned on them and their words were twisted to conform to something more palatable to the ego. This is the fate of many rebels. This is also the reason that many enlightened souls keep the whole experience to themselves. Perhaps this explains the Tao Te Ching’s contention that "those who speak do not know, and those who know do not speak."

If you are going to experience the healing power of stress, you are going to have to take the leap and be willing to live outside the bounds that society has placed around you and rail against the constraints of your own mental habits. Here are some tips that will be of assistance once you decide to be a rebel with a cause.

1. Expect scorn and doubt. While this may take the form of friends and family telling you that you are nuts to think that you can have a healthy relationship with stress, it will most likely be your own mind that tells you this. Many risk-takers had to overcome personal demons long before the external ones showed up. No matter what you hear, you are not going crazy. You may, however, be going out of your head, and that’s a good thing.

2. Know that you will still feel bad at times and that you may actually feel worse when you begin to break old thinking habits. Any recovering drug addict can tell you that the early phases of recovery are not always filled with peace and well-being. There will be a withdrawal phase as you begin to shift your conscious attention away from thought. You may find that feelings long masked by mind mechanics begin to show up with alarming frequency. The simple process of meditation may bring up a fountain of tears, with perhaps no easily identifiable source. Know that this inner storm will pass.

3. Avoid compulsive advice givers. You will most likely find that everyone around you has their own take on what is best for you. Know that while deviants are sometimes revered, they are more often reviled by those around them. Thus the pressure to conform to the sentiment, "If you ain’t miserable you ain’t one of us." Take the advice of others with grains of salt, perhaps laced around the rim of a margarita glass, if you feel inclined.

4. Forget the lightening bolts and look for the fireflies. You are taking on a process that has millions of years of momentum on its side so don’t expect that the skies will open up and the universe will reveal all of its secrets to you immediately. You will, however, begin to experience little miracles all around you; from no longer being disturbed by the least little thing, to being moved to deep appreciation by the least little thing.

5. Stay the course. Understand that this is not a one-shot deal. You are in this for the long haul and the old pattern of thinking will attempt to steer you off course. Know that you have within you the ultimate GPS for this journey and, despite your feelings to the opposite, you have always been on the road that was meant just for you.