The Ties That Bind

We all inherit natural human limitations of the mind and physical body, along with the conditioning of our family, society, education and culture. This conditioning is either reinforced by our social networks, communities, politics or fear of losing our seemingly most precious asset–our ego. If we are lucky, conditioning naturally dissolves over time with maturity, right knowledge or a desire to expand our own perception of the world. However, for many of us, breaking away from the strong-hold of our conditioning takes courage, strength, and something far greater.

Courage – Freedom begins with questioning and looking deeply at our conditioning, but this is no easy process. I wish I could tell you that moving beyond your conditioning is going to be a piece-of-cake. In truth, it’s hard as hell.

Strength – Conditioning takes years and undoing it can take decades if not multiple lifetimes. It often means losing family, friends, social networks, and the feeling of belonging.

“A wise man loses all his possessions and knows that the greater part of him remains.” ~Montaigne, Of Solitude

Questioning and looking deeply into our own conditioning is only the beginning. The next step is taking action. Action is where the real transformation begins and to transform is the destination, the goal. Yet getting there involves having an honest conversation with yourself and asking, “Is the journey worth it?”

In my experience, in losing much you gain more; however, real transformation needs to unfold. By allowing it to unfold you come to realize that as painful and as lonely as the journey can be, turning back is not an option. We are also here to make the journey less lonely with our spiritual events such as the upcoming Women’s Circle. Having support can aid in the unfolding.

Something Far Greater – The practice of meditation also allows the unfolding to happen organically. You don’t have to argue with family and friends or try to change their minds. You can have Thanksgiving dinners and joyous holiday gatherings without wasting such precious time or energy arguing a point-of-view that may change tomorrow. You can’t will someone to change no more than you can will yourself to transform. It takes something far greater to break away from the strong-hold of conditioning to find freedom. Freedom comes from something far greater, and that greatness is to be discovered in you.