Three views of Life

Our view on a given situation depends on our magnification, that is, our relative physical, mental emotional closeness to or distance from it. What may be viewed as a conflict or issue close-up may seem like part of a larger harmonious system from a wider vantage point.  Where one person sees a source of tension, another sees as a passing wave in the vast ocean of order. All views are equally correct as they are simply different points of view. How we experience life varies based on our level of consciousness.  Let's reflect on three views on life;

1. As Completely Random

We can look at life from an extremely passive perspective: assuming our existence is a bit precarious, that we have little or no control over things, not over how we came to be born, or who our parents and social conditions are or how we make our way through existence.  Some people view themselves as a pure accident, that everything is a random occurrence, from how the Earth and life came to be to more complex interactions.  What if things that happen inside or external to our bodies, felt like they do not belong or do not even feel connected to other happenings? Does life sometimes feel like it is a thing that happens to you?

2. As Controlled by External Authority

Another view on life is everything that occurs unfolds under the authority of a higher force beyond our control that we somehow feel obliged to obey.  From this view, we are at the mercy of the world around us, still, to a degree helpless, yet having a slight influence on the direction of our lives, provided we follow the rules which have been laid out for us. Sometimes we may push the envelope or bend the rules. As confidence grows, we may also rediscover a journey to reclaim personal power. Our sense of identity, success and self-worth may all seem to be wrapped up in the results of our actions.

3. As Energy

To see that everything is a play of energy pulsing on and off in space, changes how we perceive and interact with what occurs. If energy is us, flows within, through and beyond us, and we decide how to respond to everything, then personal responsibility takes on new signficance. We move through perceptions of order and disorder, love and fear, pleasure and pain like waves, with opportunity toa gain insight. As we realize this, we no longer panic about whatever is arising. From this view, at every moment, everyone has access to the same patterns of energy.  We each have unique filters, conditionings and ways of experiencing.  The moment we see space is connective, we begin to understand that we are not exclusively a body or what creates our adopted identity.  The stream of a candle is a stream of hot gas just like each human is a complex flow of energy that is whirling and dancing through space. What happens as fear ceases to control our life choices? We may fear on the surface of getting burnt by fire, getting sick, losing a relationship, your job, a contract or something else we currently hold dear.  Yet, we can come to see a continuity of energy flow, the rhythm of comings and goings. 

Ultimately, the perspective we take on life and a given situation, is based on our self- and wider insight into consciousness. Being in control and being ourselves cannot be understood without recognizing something out of control and what it is to not be ourselves.  Yet, our attention is captured by what is moving in the foreground rather than what is in the background and relatively still. We actually notice far more detail. Our views on ourselves, and life and our conditions, are limited to what we are taught is important. We pay attention only to what our values define as our priorities.  As our perception expands, what we notice changes. How we spend time also changes.