Rinse and Repeat

Doesn't it seem like particular things happen over and over?  Usually this cycle it seems like, is something that is troublesome, feels like old rotten furniture thrown away that miraculously makes it's way back to your door.  You wonder why it's back and wince, getting a familiar vibe from it that you might not be fond of.  And now you have to deal with it again, either you have a band aid solution for it; pretend that it isn't happening; or once and for all look at it and figure out what it is, and solve it.




These things that happen over and over are what we could call lessons.


Lessons -- they come without us noticing them.  It could be something we asked for, perhaps a prayer to be stronger, or an intention to be more aware in everyday life.  Instead of getting this intention or answer to a prayer that we expect, we get trials.  You ask for strength - here's a situation for you to test out your strength.  Wanna be more aware?  Here are thoughts that you have troubles getting over, have fun in your awareness!  And since this is not how we imagine them to come, we tend to not like these experiences and run away from them, or be bogged down by them.  We can't see beyond the trial or lesson, so instead of learning, we get into a loop.  Edmund Burke said that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. True words for sure.


A lesson has a tendency to repeat itself if we don't learn from them the first time.  The best way to deal with them is to see and observe situations, watch them, you will notice similarities, more often than not -- it is the same situational atmosphere - same players - different names but the same arena. Learn from it and see that this is a weakness and has manifested a scenario given to you by a higher force, so that you grow from it.  It isn't personal, not an attack, but a learning, it is growth, the way to freedom.  The powers that be are sending you a way towards freedom.  Remember, this was your intention, your prayer, and boy is it being granted!  So be careful what you wish for.  The goal is to learn then move on.  Do what is necessary for the situation and see it with fresh eyes, use your higher mind - the troubleshooter and set aside destructive emotions when dealing with them.  When we start thinking logically then we make better decisions.  As we do this practice, something else arises, a new way of thinking and processing.  We start noticing that the less we follow urges, the fewer regrets arises, we start seeing things as just being compulsions and not necessities.


With further introspection and realizations, we learn to be still and watch the thoughts come and go, a learning that they do not take root if you do not mind them, comes forth.  One must not hold on to them, let the current take them as it takes away other thoughts, let it ebb and flow. You might ask -- but I have this persistent thought that's bugging me, it is exactly this, this is the test -- watch this persistent thought and know that they are not you, they can never be you.  Let them go, keep your arms to yourself and don't give it a hand, be still and do nothing, observe it -- it'll pass, they were never yours.


Then you grown from it, and by growing it's more loosing than anything else.  You loose beliefs and form truths from experience, thus making your ignorance less and less.  And in time, a realization will set in, that this whole time everything that you thought was happening to you is just happening and that there is no you in the first place.  That all the struggle to fight the push and pull, all the heartaches learned from lessons, are all imaginary,,, perhaps this was the lesson all along.  For you to realize that in any given situation, it may look bleak or great, it may look promising or dreadful -- but they all have a start and a finish.  There is only one that does not change in this equation, that would be You.


When you see this test, learn from it and be aware of it -- once it comes back, if it does, you'll know what it is and it will go away on it's own. You'll be at peace.