| When I first started my company, I was on a high. I | | | | prosperity and love and times of scarcity and aversion. |
| had left my corporate job, was working for myself | | | | The older brother suffered greatly in the times of |
| and doing what I loved. I stopped going against my | | | | scarcity, bemoaning his terrible luck, even getting very |
| own inner current and instead began to swim with it. | | | | close to selling his gold ring. |
| With each new client, life became easier and much | | | | One day the younger brother began to wonder why |
| more fun. When I first started my company, I was on a | | | | his wealthy father had saved such a plain, worthless |
| high. I had left my corporate job, was working for | | | | silver ring. He took it off and examined the inside. It said |
| myself and doing what I loved. I stopped going against | | | | "This too shall pass." He suddenly understood why his |
| my own inner current and instead began to swim with | | | | father had valued the ring - it reminded him not to get |
| it. With each new client, life became easier and much | | | | too attached to times of wealth and not to suffer so |
| more fun. | | | | much in times of scarcity. Everything, good or bad |
| After a few months, I was totally addicted to my | | | | would come and go. It was all a part of life's process. |
| "high". I wasn't prepared for what came next, that | | | | The younger brother did not suffer through life like his |
| inevitable low. I went through a tough stage of having | | | | older brother. Instead, he found a sort of peace in |
| trouble finding clients and facing some tough personal | | | | accepting both the positive and the negative. |
| issues. And I kept thinking that somehow I had just | | | | As I was listening to this story, my legs tired and sore |
| missed my current, that if I just kept looking I would find | | | | from eight hours of meditation, I suddenly realized that |
| the fastest stream and get back into it. There had to | | | | there is no fast current in life like the one I had |
| be some middle current that was really fast, and if I | | | | imagined. |
| stepped into it, life would always go the way I wanted | | | | There is no consistent way to make everything go |
| it to go. | | | | exactly the way you want it to go. You can't work |
| Before I left for my ten day silent meditation on June | | | | harder, love more people or make more promises to |
| 25th, I was still looking for that really fast middle current, | | | | ensure that everything will always be OK. |
| and it was ever more elusive to me. | | | | My fastest current has a new definition now, it is now |
| One of the stories that I learned on the retreat, goes | | | | about accepting what life brings my way, and not |
| something like this. Two wealthy, royal brothers were | | | | resisting the situations that challenge me. It seems like |
| left with a box after their father died. The box | | | | common sense, but it can be the hardest principle I |
| contained one gold ring, ornate with gems and | | | | know how to follow. Resistance can be much easier |
| diamonds and one plain silver ring. Being smart and | | | | than acceptance. |
| greedy, the older brother quickly seized the gold ring | | | | If you too are still looking for that inner fast current |
| for himself, claiming that because he was older he | | | | without success, perhaps try a few minutes of deep |
| deserved it. The younger brother settled for the plain | | | | breathing in the midst of it all. Realize that no matter |
| silver band. | | | | how painful, this too shall pass. |
| As the years went by, both brothers experienced | | | | Don't worry, you won't be alone. Somewhere out |
| great highs and lows in their lives, times of great | | | | there, I'll probably be doing the same thing. |