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Earth School

“Not all things that fall down break. Some develop wings.”

Neelam Saxena Chandra

          I don’t know about you, but I screw up at least one thing every single day. I make lots of mistakes, some more egregious than others. They are part of life and they are my best teachers. Screw-ups make us stop and pay attention. They cause us to recalculate and come up with a better plan. Because of them, we gain skill at whatever we do.

          Mistakes, for me, usually happen when my head is in one place, and the rest of me is in another. When I am not in the moment, and focused on what I am doing, I do stupid stuff—like trip over sidewalks, or sew something upside down. This does not occur because I am naturally clumsy or blind, but because I am not present with all of me. Hurting myself has taught me to pay attention—especially to my feet. Distractions, while human, produce mistakes that can break your bones.

          Some of our mistakes can lead to life changes—both good and not so good. An off-the-cuff remark, or a saucy picture on social media, can change the direction of a career or ruin a perfectly good relationship. The rules of civility, though some have attempted to deal them a death blow, still apply. When we slander someone, we can expect to pay the price (literally) even though slander seems to be popular now.

          I have a theory that when we begin making multiple mistakes in any particular setting—say, at work or at home—we are unconsciously attempting to sabotage that situation or that relationship. We sometimes set up the circumstances for dismissal, or separation, or breaking up without being honest with ourselves about why we’re doing it. In our heart-of-hearts, we want out, but we are in denial about it, so we create an atmosphere in which there is no other choice. Human beings are clever creatures—we can hide things even from ourselves.

          One of the best things about knowing oneself at the “deep-state” level is that we can weigh our choices openly and above board, without first falling or failing. There is nothing in the outer world more complex and interesting than what is roiling around in the inner world of every human being. Including you. Getting to know oneself deeply, honestly, and without air-brushing all the blemishes away, is the adventure of a lifetime. You will find that you have done some things right, and you’ve made some mistakes—both large and small. And that is because you are human, and your wings are still growing.  After all, each lifetime is learning lab in the Earth School.

                                                  In the Spirit,

                                                  Jane