How do you react when you feel anxious and negative? Perhaps it is a good opportunity to get up and do something about it, or perhaps it is a perfect opportunity to just sit there and let this phase pass instead. Say when a snowstorm hits you just sit there and let the inches accumulate before you go out shoveling.
There was a nice scene in the movie The Fugitive when the police was surrounding the apartment the fugitive Harrison Ford had just rented. He panicked when he saw all the police cars approaching, but after he had checked all the flight options he just resigned to the fact that there was nothing he could do about it. It turned out that the police came for the son of the landlord instead, so by not moving Harrison Ford had in fact saved himself!
It is hard to do nothing when something is off, yet that might be precisely what is needed to solve the problem at hand. When you are in a lousy mood you will probably only make wrong decisions and take wrong actions, so taking a time-out is in fact good for you.
A spiritual path also teaches us what to do. Mostly we are asked to back off when the storm is raging, yet at times we are part of the divine fury. The Tao is beyond good and evil; rush or rest, all is up to the timing of the Way; we are Her instruments.
Non-doing is often the way when we feel lonely, empty, sad or scared. This is hard. In the past we were always tempted to do something to distract ourselves. How natural it is to find escapes in alcohol, sex, shopping, food binges or spending time with the wrong people when you feel negative. The Tao teaches us to simply accept negative energy phases without finding substitutes. In escapes you only circulate the negative energies and they never have a chance to understand what is really going on inside you and what you really want.
So next time when you are in a negative energy field, just wait. If you need to do something, find something unrelated instead. Go jogging, clean your house, or talk to a friend you care for. The messengers of the Tao are everywhere. Just as life presents the negative energy field to you, you will also get clear instructions of how you can defuse the situation.
Energy changes if you let something sit for a while. Just think how clear water becomes if you let the mud settle for a few minutes. Be in tune with the Tao rain or shine and you will be able to use energy always to your advantage. Being happy and serene is the Way - wait patiently and it will come to you - enjoy!
By Christian and Su Zhen
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