Playing the Sacred Say/Do/Be Game yesterday taught me something profound:
You are either in a ‘Sacred‘ state or a ‘Scared‘ state
– but you can’t be in both at once.
In other words, fear has no place in the sacred state of mind. The moment fear – or the voice of the petrifying ego – steps in, the sacredness of the moment vanishes! And on the other hand, the Sacred is entered into precisely by surrendering our fear, concern, and worry – and going in to the next moment ‘naked’.
May I leave ‘Scared‘ behind as I enter the Sacred birthing experience with my beautiful sister and her wonderful husband. May I surrender my fears at the door; may I wipe my feet of personal concerns or self-consciousness; may I surrender to the Sacredness of this birth. May I have such insight into the wonder of what I am about to experience, that I am lifted up in trust, faith and wonder.
Meditation…
Sarah Blondin invites us to commune with our fears and hear their messages.
Ok, dear Scaredness-in-me, holding tight to my heart. What is your message and learning for me? I’m listening. I’m reaching in. Let me learn from you.
Scaredness: I’m experiencing vertigo, and a feeling I might ‘trip up’ and come crashing down.
Like a fall from grace?
Scaredness: Like a fall from favour. As how a derelict building might collapse.
Hang on. What’s the derelict building?
Scaredness: The dereliction of duty! Can’t you see? The ‘not doing’ is the problem which rots away the timber which holds up the house!
But we’re precisely learning that ‘No-Do’ is an important practice…
Scaredness: Crazy! No-Do = Can’t Do = Won’t Do = Didn’t Do = T.R.O.U.B.L.E.
Aha… I hear you. You’re really worried about what happens if we Do Nothing.
Scaredness: Do Nothing Dies.
Oh, I see. What a frightening concern to have! Especially when I’m tired and not moving fast…
Scaredness: Exactly. Flaking away, wasting time, letting the things build up…
Man alive – I thought this was what I was sensing. It’s good to hear you say it aloud. I’m glad to get it out in the open. Is there anything else you feel and want to share with me?
Scaredness: Do Nothing Dies.
Ok. I hear you, dear friend. Well, I’m going to reassure you over time, with gentle, conscious, held exposure to No-Do. You’re going to learn it won’t kill us. In fact, No-Do is the perfect partner to Do. They work well in tandem. I’m going to show you, carefully and gently, that No-Do is safe, sensible and powerfully healing. No-Do is the gateway to the Sacred, and the Sacred is a space in which all things are ‘done’ and complete – in reality or in potential. It’s like looking in to the perfect future, in the present. Trust me, dearest, beloved, clawing, rampaging Scaredy-Cat – it’s safe to be still, silent and stopped.
Scaredness: Well, we’ll see about that!
********
So…
Good work. No-Do is indeed safe, sensible and powerfully healing. Think of the shepherd sitting on the hillside, the warrior at rest, the contemplative by the lake.
Ah, contemplation. That’s somewhere between doing and thinking…
It’s the space between Say/Do and Be. It’s the still space of mind which watches its own thoughts, without reacting to them. It’s slow. It can be heartfelt. It’s reflective.
I feel a bit vertiginous.
Welcome to the Lake of No-Do. Sit beside it and look out upon its still waters for a while.
Contemplate…
Be the contemplative by the Lake of No-Do.
But today… I have to go to London… It’s a very important day…
All the more important, if you truly want to be present to your loved ones for this Sacred occasion, that you go in the spirit of the contemplative by the Lake of No-Do.
Ok. I trust you. Thank you.
I am the contemplative by the Lake of No-Do
*****
Later: Amazingly, THIS is literally where we (S,N and I) ended up this afternoon in London on a gentle walk we took from the hospital while we waited for the baby to start to come along… The Lake of No-Do?! ❣️
