I remember reading a story years ago that made a lot of sense to me. The story is about a man falling from a cliff and asking for God’s help. God actually answers, but the man does not like the answer.   So he asks again and once again he receives the same unwanted response.   Then he asks if there is “anyone else up there”?

I do not know who or what God is, but I do know that I need saving.  Often times the answers and help I receive to make me whole are not the ones I am looking for.

I have spent countless years fighting off the life jackets and life boats that have come my way because I did not like how they looked. Never once did my rejection of those life savers help me, other than to keep me from drowning.

The business of saving our asses is a tricky one.  Because the same head that gets us into trouble is the one that “invents” what the solution should look like, sound like and feel like. To make matters worse, it even tells us how long the problem should last and how quick the solution should work.

Of course when it does not go down as our mind intended it to, we give up, change courses and look for new solutions from the same mind!

The questions I ask myself all the time are, “am I willing to do what I do not want to do, and listen to what I do not want to listen to? Am I ready to take the heat from those that will not approve? Can I stand up to those that will misinterpret or twist my actions, words or intentions”?

These are but a few of the questions anyone who is yearning for change must be ready to answer. If change was easy, we would not have to talk about it so much.  Our world would not be full of self help groups, healing circles, therapists, therapies, books and DVDs that all talk about change.

Ever think about prison? How many of those prisoners tried to be different and just could not? More than you think! The truth is that most of us are stuck.   Many of us do not even know and those that do have one hell of a time changing, myself included.

I have taken change so seriously that I built an entire organization around it! An organization to protect me from me and to help others stretch beyond the confines of their own personality.

Electric Soul Yoga is a life saver and a game changer. It gives “the makeover business” new meaning. However, I have found being involved in it everyday does not exclude me from having to go through the treacherous struggle of change. It certainly does not absolve me from the resistance that comes up when I get the answers I need, but do not like.

What Electric Soul Yoga helps with is offering support to go through the pain of “gain”. We all must understand there is a deep cutting pain that comes with real change,  especially the kind the breaks us free from attachment or addiction. The person who can go through this pain differs in only one way from the person who cannot, and that is they have a bit of knowledge. The person doing his or her work has the knowledge that the pain and discomfort that comes from the work is nothing compared to the pain and discomfort of staying the same.

In all my years of helping myself and others there is very little to do to get a person to see that truth.  It all comes down to pain tolerance. Those with a greater tolerance for pain will stay unhealthy for longer than those that do not.

Knowledge is what should make a human being change.  But it is pain that makes most of us change . Therefore pain is not always a bad thing.  In fact, in many cases, it is the impetus for change, truth and freedom. If this is so, then the discomfort that comes with change is only proof that one is changing, and that changes the meaning of pain and the impact it has on us.

We do not know… How many times were we convinced that someone was great and they were not? That someone who appeared awful turned out to be great? How many times have we been convinced that the worst has happened only to have it be the best?  Or the best thing turned out to be the worst?

From these scenarios, we should learn to suspend belief or disbelief and just “go with the flow”.  That, my friends is where its at!

Nature works in its own way.  Every creature is unique.  Each is designed for a wonderful purpose in keeping a balance in this ever changing world. The song bird sings, the eagle soars, the lion roars and well… we fuck things up!  BUT that is part of the perfection.  It has to be. We are the only creatures on earth able to be incredibly wonderful or horrible.  Yet, in spite of us, the world has always found a way to keep spinning.

I know what you are saying. It may “not be for long”.  Maybe so, but the point is all I can do, all you can do, is tend to the business of saving our asses and “go with the flow”.  Because we don’t know!

This might be the end of the world or it could be a new beginning. Sitting on the sidelines trying to figure it out, is not where life is at, brothers and sisters.

Life is to be lived with every breath, working on taking ourselves to our highest heights! The world cannot stop us from soaring.  Nor can it lift us up. We have to do it ourselves.

So yes, we ask for help and I know the Electric Soul family can help.  But then we must let go, let go of the fear of the way things “should” look or feel.  Let go of what others may think or do. Let go of where we may land, and when all of that letting go is done, we soar. We sail to a dream come true, sweet freedom alas…. I hope….

The story:

Clifford was leaning against the fence, enjoying a beautiful view of the Grand Canyon, when the wooden posts suddenly ripped from their cement moorings. Seconds later Clifford was plunging down into the abyss. Halfway to the bottom, his desperate arm waiving, helped Clifford catch and clutch a single branch that grew from the canyon wall. Grasping and gasping he looked both up and down. No way could he climb the sheer cliff. But below yawned the chasm, with nothing left to brace his fall. To fall would be to die and be horribly crushed by the rocks below. No one had seen him fall, and he hung there out of sight, knowing that the wind would scatter his weak voice no matter how loudly he shouted.

Desperately, Clifford cried out to heaven, “God help me!” Hearing his own trembling voice he shouted again, “please God help me”. To Clifford’s amazement he heard a voice respond. “All right” came the voice. The initial warmth Clifford felt turned to a chill as the voice continued, “let go”.

Looking down, Clifford saw the huge boulders waiting below and knew if he let go he would surely die. Let go? he thought…. “but God you don’t understand”!  He yelled. “I’m far up, I’ll”….

“Let go” the voice repeated.

Silence filled the canyon. Then, in a weak terrified voice Clifford called out, “is there anyone else up there”?

And so it is folks, even if we heard the voice of God, would we listen if it was not what we wanted to hear? So long as we cling, we are bound!

Change involves release and one cannot be released when clinging. Our own minds hold us hostage and letting go is the enemy. The mind produces lies which become phobias, fears and addictions. Let us not feed those lies.  Let us starve them to death.

Remember these two delicious writings:

” COME TO THE EDGE”

” No we will fall”

” COME TO THE EDGE”

” No we will fall”

They came to the edge.

He pushed them and they flew. By Apollinaire

Everything terrifying is, in it’s deepest being, something helpless that wants our help….. Rainer Marie Rike

May we all fight the good fight!

Peace,

EP