Distraction from Inspiration is a Gunshot on a Cold Day

Originally posted on January 9, 2020

Yesterday was one of those perfect winter days that help us get through a season of hibernating will. It was crisp but not cold. The sun was shining. The snow sparkled. It was pretty magical. I was walking to the mailbox, which is about a 30 minute jaunt, thinking about how great this new acreage living is. I was taking in the beauty, deeply breathing the fresh clean air, and listening to the sounds of the snow crunching under my boots.

Not one minute after I said to myself, "This is exactly why we moved out here," I heard a gunshot. It was in the distance but not too far off.

I am so unfamiliar with guns and their characteristics, and I was hoping the cold in the air likely made the gunshot sound closer than it was. Maybe?

Then I heard another gunshot, probably about a minute after the first. Was I in danger? I was almost at the mailbox, so, the farthest I could be from our house. I am sure I pushed my letters into the slot, though I don't have any memory of doing so.

Another gunshot. I was wearing a red jacket. That would help me if it was a hunter. But not so helpful if I needed to hide in the bare trees.

I checked my watch: 3:17. Just in case there was an investigation, I would want to be as helpful as possible. I actually have thoughts like this. I started counting seconds between shots: 45 seconds, 112 seconds, 78 seconds, 39 seconds, 63 seconds.

There were nine shots in total, each about a minute apart. They ended before I got home.

Can you see what happened on my walk to the mailbox to deliver my letters on this perfect winter day? I lived the common analogy to what so often happens to us in life. Again. **facepalm**

It was the perfect scenario for me to enjoy my winter walk and appreciate the components of what I love about our new surroundings, the very reason we moved to the country: nature, fresh air, opportunities to be outside, solitude, connection with Spirit, living present in the moment, intentional appreciation that feeds my soul.

And I got distracted.

I got distracted by something irrelevant to my soul's path. I got distracted by fear. And though I did not actually feel that I was in danger, I spent my glorious winter walk counting seconds instead of birds, tensely listening to silence between gunshots instead of appreciating the quiet of the still air, creating the urgency of policing my environment instead of feeling the fresh air cleansing my lungs and nurturing the sacred channels of my inspired being.

And this is so often how life goes for us humans: We get inspired by something that will elevate our whole existence on this planet because it feels so good and we know our lives would be so much better if we follow the inspiration, and then we get distracted by the volume of our fear and abandon that which feeds our soul.

Our fear comes from our mind, from the amygdala in our brain, that egoic watchdog that has been so well-conditioned by our past that it effectively herds us into reliving the past over and over. Its intention is good, to keep us safe and away from that which will kill us. Our ego is a survival mechanism preserved from the caveman days. It's a tool that we have forgotten how to use, so it tends to override us.

I recently posted a meme on Facebook that reads, "One of the best lessons you can learn in life is to master how to remain calm." One of my dear friends responded, "Some days, this is hard." YES! Some days this is very hard! Sometimes staying calm feels nearly impossible. I literally work on it every day. Some days, I do great. Some days, not so much.

Calm is the mastery of reading our emotions as they come up, witnessing them, and responding to the messages they carry.

Calm is the mastery of hearing the voice of the ego in our mind, thanking it for its service, and then following the direction of the heart.

Calm is the mastery of preparation by knowing, through quiet reflection and contemplation, who we choose to be and knowing we can achieve that state of consciousness.

Calm is the acceptance of ourselves as spiritual beings in full partnership with Infinite Intelligence and knowing ourselves, as such, as being filled with unlimited value.

Calm is knowing that our primary goal for being on this planet in this incarnation is to be happy and appreciate each component of this experience: to enjoy our life.

I'm still working on mastering calm. Every day, I practice. And the practice makes a big difference, even when I get distracted by gunshots. There are other things, too. I get distracted by whining kids, tight timelines, being late, being influenced by expectations, hunger and fatigue (mine or others), and a million other things that come up.

And I will continue to practice because it is so worth the effort. Being perfect at life is not the goal. Being better at it is.

Calm comes from choosing--moment by moment, and with great faith in my connection with Infinite Intelligence--which will be in charge, the watchdog ego of my mind or the inspiration in my heart. And when choice is recognized, that voice in my head is not given any veto power. Not for matters of importance. Not for matters of inspiration.

When calm is there, I can see the choice better. And when I can choose, I will choose my heart over my head, inspiration over regurgitation........almost every time. I'm still practicing.