The Long Night of the Full Moon

Stop trying to "fix" yourself; you're NOT broken. You are perfectly imperfect and powerful beyond measure.

(Dr Steve Maraboli)

My father has bi-polar and I feel his "dis-ease" in my bones. Like him, I have trouble sleeping and there are nights when I realize at 1 pm that this was just as much sleep as I am likely to get. I know for a fact that astrology works because I can feel the moon in my "system". Give me a rainy 2 pm night near a full moon embedded in a powerful star constellation and a tornado runs through me.

Isn't unfair that I can't sleep the way others can and isn't unfair that my father was never able to shake his illness and had to endure it for 40 years? Isn't it unfair that my livelihood depends on a stressful market place that evokes fears, manic depressions and greed? Probably, but it may just be that you can enjoy my writings because of it. Writing is my way out of the dilemma. I just sit here and face the storm without doing anything about it. No alcohol, no coffee, no medications, no distractions and no escapes - I just sit here and transform the creativity of the energy-laden situation into this note. 

The German poet Goethe once said, "only the inadequate is productive". Once you truly feel the meaning of this realization in your bones, you are Home. Nothing can get you, nothing can upset you. All frustration is channeled into creative actions. Fact of the matter is that you can't blame God for where you end up, only yourself. But fact of the matter too is the realization that with every step of the Way you have God right next to you and She gives you the creative outlet to find your Self. Please use the long night of the full moon to find yours. It might be meditation, it might be writing or painting; it might be dancing,  sex or connecting with others; it might be martial arts or kick-boxing; it might be praying or appealing to your guiding spirits. No matter what you do, use that priceless opportunity to discover that you are perfectly imperfect and powerful beyond measure. 

Only the Inadequate is Productive

See the stone set in your eyes,
see the thorn twist in your side,
I'll wait for you.
Sleight of hand and twist of fate,
on a bed of nails she makes me wait.
And I wait without you.

Through the storm, we reach the shore.
You gave it all but I want more
and I'm waiting for you.
With or without you,
with or without you,
I can't live with or without you.
(U2, With or Without You)

In the spiritual community we often have the ideal of love, peace and happiness, yet if we are willing to look beneath the hood, we perceive struggle as well. Discussing these struggles is complicated and sometimes counterproductive given that we all come from a different vantage point. Yet, while our struggles are idiosyncratic, there is an overriding theme that we all should be aware of: the pressure within often kick-starts the search for the complete, the perfect, the infinite. And for that we should be grateful for.

The German poet Goethe once said, "Only the inadequate is productive." Why do we talk and write so much in the spiritual community? Because we want this tension and conflict inside to be over with and we channel that conflicted energy into our search for God. We are literally on a healing mission. And if we truly understand where we coming from we have in fact a perfect opportunity of letting go today. We live in the best of all worlds. Our struggles are in fact perfect imperfections that catapult us on our journey Home. Our creative outlet is our mission; our struggle is the energy source for creation and the ability to let go.

When I looked for the U2 song that expresses that inner struggle quite well - "With or a Without You" - I came across The Joshua Tree Tour in 1987 in which Bono ended the song after a beautiful guitar solo with "Yeah, we'll shine like stars in the summer night. We'll shine like stars in the winter light; one heart, one hope, one love, with or without you." Well, that's it. Shine like a star! Reflect and magnify that tremendous energy that slumbers inside you. Honor your starting point,find your creative outlet and share your light with others. When the light is shining, the conflict is gone and peace, love and happiness are with you.

I Am Ready

You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.
(Bob Marley)

Sometimes we will come across some difficult situations. It seems impossible for us to pass all of life's test.  However, please remember you are testing yourself in every difficult situation. Just as the problems seemed overwhelming, it will be similarly thrilling when the solutions present themselves. Please don't lose faith, and please don't complain about your fate!

 Whenever we are going through something difficult, please trust this is a message from God that you are stronger than you thought you could be. The Tao is always on your side. Whenever you break through your self-imposed limits, whenever you overcome artificial obstacles, you gain strength and wisdom in the process. With this wisdom, strength, and courage, now you are even more ready to unleash your potential.

 What makes successful and happy people different is that they always believe that they can make it regardless of what difficulties they may come across.  They are always ready to tackle the obstacles on their way and keep on moving. They don’t think any difficulty or obstacle is a curse, on the contrary, they take it as an opportunity to learn and they transform it to a present instead. They never stop just because they come across a rock along the way. They take advantage of any opportunity to advance and enrich themselves. Just as the German poet Goethe once said, "even with stones that others put in your way one can build a nice house."

 If you want to build your muscles, you need to be able to take some physical pain; if you want to build your mental muscle, you need to be able to take some psychological pain!  You come across this difficulty only because you are ready to advance. All the help in the world is standing right next to you. Bless the Tao for everything that comes your way today.

By Christian and Su Zhen

Finding Serenity under Pressure

How do you feel about your life right now?  Do you feel stressed out by all the stuff that accumulates throughout the day; the work, the chores, or working out some rocky relationships? Do you feel your health is deteriorating? Do you feel like you are always running behind, never able to keep up with everything that is coming your way?  Do you feel a constant pressure and don't experience any fun at all?

 A depression is a darkness of expectation, a complete slump of energy. You somehow feel overwhelmed by the tasks at hand, with no relief in sight. You feel that life exerts constant pressure. All your attention is on duties and responsibilities, and you completely forget to focus on the incredible upside that slumbers inside of you. It must have happened to you that you suddenly felt that surge in energy inside of you and with that little energy kick all the problems vanished almost effortlessly. Yet these energy bursts feel sporadic to you and when you are dragged down by life's relentless attacks you can't even remember them.

We think the Tao can help you! Take pride and joy in facing everything that comes your way; consider every task, small and big, as a present you send to yourself to help you succeed. The German poet Goethe once said, "Even with stones that someone put in your way you can build something nice." That's indeed how the Tao works. There is no good nor bad along the Way, there is only the path that helps you discover who you truly are. Find the upside in everything that comes your way and you will find it!

The other energy booster is meaning. They say that you can bear almost any pain as long as it is meaningful. Well, we don't want you to experience any pain, we want you to have fun along the Way instead. Still, the same principle applies. Find meaning in what you do and discover a boundless energy source. Always remind yourself what each situation is for and see how the necessary energy to get the job done will be at your disposal.

Remind yourself of your mission and your life will be so much more purposeful; study the Tao at work and you will have so much fun. But then, if at some point resentment, pressure and anxiety do overwhelm you, that's ok too. That is what we all experience from time to time, just remember that you can always snap out of it. Your fears and restlessness are the impostors; serenity and peace is your natural state that you always can return to.  May peace be with you!

By Christian and Su Zhen