A New Look

We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. -- Einstein

If I were a gambling man I would bet that the idea of “healing stress” sounds strange to you. I would also guess that a part of you really wants to believe in the healing power of stress, but another part really wants to brush it aside and replace it with the “cold, hard truth”—life can hurt at times. You may find yourself in a stressful situation again and say, “See, there is no healing in this. It sucks and that’s that!” Or, you may find yourself heading back to the bookstore to finally buy that copy of Ten Reasons Why There is Nothing You Can Do to Feel Better.

I want to assure you that things can be different. I want you to know that when you look at stress mindfully, rather than thoughtfully, you will cut off the fuel that your body needs to create a full-blown panic attack.

The power of mindfulness is not in forming new thoughts, but the transformative power of simply looking. Jesus did not say, “Go gather up some lilies and figure out how they manage to live such a carefree life.” He simply said, “Consider the lilies.” One could almost imagine him saying, “Quit worrying and go meditate on the lilies. They hold the secret to living.” With mindfulness, the focus of your attention reflects back your true nature.

From the great ancient teachers right on up to modern-day physicists, the message is that you are a watcher, a witness entangled with the very essence of what you are watching. When you think of yourself as separate from that which you see, you suffer. Stress is simply a reminder that you have lost the whole and are focusing on its parts. When you practice nonjudgmental acceptance of this fact you will have a new look at life.

You have an alchemical power within you, and if the sages and mystics are correct, to unleash it you only need to recognize that it is there. That seems like a no-brainer to me. So give your mind a rest and go into your stress totally and see if you can find the seed of a new understanding. Get out of your head and take heart, which is where you were meant to be all along. Every stressful event you’ve ever encountered had its place, and all the ones you will meet have a role to play in the unfolding mystery that is life. Forget about trying to find the source of your stress; find your source and stress will take care of itself.