The Guest House
by Rumi ,
translated by Coleman Barks
“This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.”
by R
Translated by Coleman Barks
We frequently believe that if we are really good, smart, hard-working, and admirable, life will unfailingly deliver all that we crave, perhaps, more honestly, what we secretly believe we are entitled to. How dare life deliver pain, hardship, disappointment, and gut-wrenching tragedy when we are working so hard, doing so much, and are such good people!
It all seems so unfair.
So, mean-spirited.
So, enraging.
Life, at its core, is unpredictable, random, and not within our control. And, I believe, it’s how it’s supposed to be. A 5-year-old may stamp her little feet at some injustice, some unfair punishment, however, as adults such a temper tantrum serves no purpose other than to whittle down our spirits and blind us to the ultimate gift of life. That gift is that our essential being, our strength, our compassion, gratitude, kindness, emotional fortitude, and maturity relies on facing and greeting our undesirable visitors.
To survive “a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture” , demands that we learn to become flexible, humble, gracious, and open to learning through the sorrow and despair that life delivers.
Kristi Nelson wrote in the www.dailygood.org,
“Life is everything and inherently includes everything. This is the great fullness. Life is not about “or” — it is about “and.” It is magic and messy. It is heartwarming and heartbreaking. It is delight and disappointment. Grace and grief. Exquisite and excruciating, often at the exact same time. And it is paradoxical. The more squarely we embrace death, the more fully alive we can become. The more we let go, the more we often receive. Life is everything. How can we make the space to better see, hold, and work with this wonderfully challenging, complex, and simple truth?”
So, the paradox is that Letting Go is the key to becoming more, a willingness to grow from everything that life can deliver. It doesn’t mean that we should set up the conditions of pain or despair. Rather, it is the acceptance that the “fullness of life” demands that we show up and try to survive it all. It means that we need to cultivate pliability of spirit, a willingness to shape-shift, as well as an increased thankfulness for the good, the beautiful, the loving, all the gifts that life delivers. The secret of life is to live it all, This is the stuff of the Gods.
El
“The women I love and admire for their strength and grace did not get that way because shit worked out. They got that way because shit went wrong, and they handled it. They handled it in a thousand different ways on a thousand different days, but they handled it. These women are my superheroes.”
In each moment, each second, you can find yourself at choice-point. It is only a breath, a few seconds in which you can pause and make a choice. That choice can change the trajectory of your life – you can turn the corner at the intersection of Grace and Grief, and chose Grace.
Want to discover other thoughts about traversing the
“Cracked Open: Reflections on the Transformative Power of Failure, Fear, & Doubt” – it’s available as an e-book or a printed version. (The print version is quite special inside with color pages), and it is perfect as a book to have by your bedside as a meditation.) After you read it, please leave a review on Amazon, I’d be so grateful!