Simmer Down

As the summer heats up, the busy bee nature of the human hive becomes more frantic to accomplish the eternal chores of doing. So many dreams are taking flight, , projects being initiated, and fantasies left to roam like nomads far from home and reality. I and I am making keen awareness of how this squirrely industrious nature of getting things done can easily get out of proportion to living well and become very harmful to the i-tal vessel, emotional stability and spiritual well being of the individual. The grind put upon I-self is nothing more than an adopted paradigm from Babylon, manipulated onto the sovereign self that enforces the hustle as more important than simplicity. That suffering and survival be the only pride in one’s work, and struggle is the only means for thriving. But I believe this is a practice made with less attention to awareness, consciousness, and quality of living.

People are forgetting how to truly be, and not allowing themselves to fully inhabit their lives, even in my own community. So much talking about places they wish to see, things they are wanting to do, and ideas about the future, though only as wishes without the contentment of the here and now, and the gratitude of the process that moves us.The reasonings of the downpressed man or woman say, “there is no time for fun”, “there’s not enough money in the pocket”, “I have to do this, there is no other choice”, and just keep on working and doing more of the things until they burn out.

I overstand this because in the past I adopted this paradigm and believed it, followed it, and felt there was no other way. Some of this was inherited from my lineage and the conditioning upon I as a youth. Always poor growing up, and to this day living with very little. But I found a way to feel rich by doing without, in not having the need of more, in being free with unstructured time to do nothing and fully be. I know better that it is a myth to be a slave. I work as hard as anyone else, and have several engagements of different kinds, but there is a quality of attention and awareness in that work, and meaningful relationships built into the engagements that raises the vibration in the doing process, and helps it flow more easy and playful. I dedicate my works to Jah, when the burdens seem too great for one man, and keep on moving with an Irie mood, when life is needing me to show up and shine.

The mindset and the spiritual connection is the real boundary of what kind of life you can have, and how one helps I-self on their journey. He say, let I have this thing to make life better, and takes up the material things, builds a bigger house, fills it with the luxuries, puts investments in all the assets, domesticates the animals to act according to his will, then is burdened by them. The material things end up owning him, it all needs to be maintained and protected, there is never a satisfaction of the ownership, and he is always starving. This is the modern system of living, and it can even poison the countryman.

There is so much competition, but the competition is misguided, see. It is not in service to truth, wherein the best path or idea emerges from the collective output of the whole. Competition should hold the space for refinement of gifts and talents, and create awareness of shortcoming, without the intention to win. This only encourages cheating and anti-communal power dynamics.

Mostly there is the trouble of gratitude. Like most people do not wake up and give thanks for their morning brew, and be thankful to the dog that wants your attention. There is no praises for the warm fire, the bed, and the woman beside you. We miss so many opportunities of recognition for the systems in place that keep our routines functioning, like tools working as they should, vehicles to get us around quickly, an oven to cook the food for the plate, and a backyard for the privacy of life to happen. Unhappy is he who complains for a better life. Can you thank the wind for drying your clothes, and sleep on the ground and still be happy? Can you lay in a hammock for thirty minutes and take a nap on a busy day, and not regret doing more? Can you prepare a healthy dinner and share it among many, and count this among your blessings of being able to serve? I believe there is no higher need than service, even more so than self actualization. It is too late in the game to be placing I-self above all, we need to remember to give, slow down, and come back to life,

So do what you do, but do it with dedication, and in the spirit of service. Simmer down the heat of the hustle and bustle, and remember what you are working for.

Jah bless,