the "Why Bother" collection:
my friend db is right that safety can only exist in the now. it is nothing but a continual, eternal non-stop affirmation that at least for this moment, we are not under attack. part 1
26 hrs ago
Let's take a look at these words in turn
...safety can only exist in the now
aka: safety occurs in present tense.
let's assume this as true for now. i'll post a lot of supporting points around this later, but suffice to say it's practically axiomatic that safety can only exist in this moment alone.
...it is nothing but a continual, eternal non-stop affirmation
ok, this is nice, but a lot of work. i mean being that on 24/7 is obviously enervating. but it's just a form of life, a particular unfurling, and while it would be nice to be free of that labor, whatever, if you are able to know affirmation, things aren't super dire; that's good!
you gotta do what you gotta do to stay alive, that is, unless you choose not to.
...that at least for this moment, we are not under attack.
that's heavy, no real way around it. to be able to behold only a single moment, and be foremost concerned with whether we're being attacked or not. dang.
a couple of flipsides: one, you get good at being grateful, and two, you sweat a lot less the silly stuff; you haven't the time. any moment could be catastrophic in the unpleasantest way, so when it's not, you get a chance to be mad grateful. that too is our choice.
boing !
so here's a leap i think i might try: trust and train the soul to be on guard, to do that moment by moment affirmation, rather than it falling solely upon dear bodymind. for one reason.
the soul does not experience the decay of time, and never tires. it is without mass, and not subject to gravity and erosion. soul bears burden different.
props
mad props to survival skills though. being pt, feeling myself a survivor, i always return to some weirdly grounded place, the foxhole where we stay vigilant. i don't think i can, or will ever want to, give that up.
so there will be oscillation—and perhaps co-location—of notions a) and b).
a) is one way of living in the now where to be safe is to notice everything, account for all details and every single contingency; stressful that, b/c you know you miss some.
b) is not doing all that, trusting that you've trained your soul to be on guard enough that bodymind can stand down.
and that plays out moment by moment, one moment at a time. there's no other way.
becoming mindful? just know, there's a lot(!) going on, and the path leads you to accounting for all of it.
good luck and deepest blessings fellow traveler,
gratefully, m