7.06.2003

One To Grow On

Earth is a school for the soul. I believe that each soul chooses to adopt the temporary physical manifestation of a “body” solely for the purpose of development and growth through the illusion of pain, resistance and suffering. There is no recess in “Earth School” my friend. We are constantly “in class,” learning the important lessons that life hands us moment through moment. By acknowledging this sacred consciousness we make a solemn obligation to see each hurdle, obstacle or setback as a precious gift – a wondrous chance to take a closer step toward being a more exceptional human being.

To succeed in “Earth School” one must look deep inside and ask the tough questions. Through my years of practice I’ve realized that it’s not for everyone. Most people close the door on introspection and they run from the faintest hint of conflict. I feel for these “lost souls,” for they are missing a chance at climbing the ladder toward the light.

But let’s take this out of the hypothetical and bring it a little closer to the real world with some examples from my life. Two weeks ago I lost my job. But instead of complaining to co-workers and friends about how “unfair” the boss is, or how “ridiculous” the system is, I decided to step back and take an inventory. I missed 12 days of work while on a vodka/cocaine binge with my brother-in-law Carl. Around day 4 we decided to drive his Chevy Impala 600 miles to New Orleans to see the Allman Brothers. Coming back wasn’t an option because around Day 7 we traded the car for whiskey, mescaline and menthol cigarettes. According to some documentation I found in my wallet, I also spent 2 nights confined to the New Orleans City jail for organizing a cock fighting tournament. Apparently I was fired around this time for not informing my “superiors” at SoftwareWerks of my absence. But instead of getting angry and wasting a lot of energy I decided to work with the situation. Where was the “grow” here? Where was the lesson? By taking a deeper look at myself I realized that I was never happy at that job. I was miserable sitting there day after day creating software which helped children with disabilities learn to read. My boss Steve gave me a gift when he left that voicemail on my mobile phone telling me never to come back and that my personal belongings would be stacked in the parking garage. Thank you Steve. Many less-evolved souls would see the loss of a job as a major problem, but I refuse to see it. In fact there are no problems in my world – only life lessons. Are you starting to get it? I knew you would.

The funny thing about “Earth School” is that after you handle one challenge, a bigger one will always come down the pipe. With so much free time on my hands I decided to make some new acquaintances on the Internet. Tina and Cynthia were two attractive teens I met on a super cool web site that helps people like me meet fun, new friends. I had them over one night for a hot tub with some wine coolers and cocaine when my wife came home early from her operation at the hospital. I hate to be negative, but it was not a pretty picture. She was angry, upset and threatening divorce all while seated in her new wheelchair. I was upset too. She called me some pretty bad names, but I took the hurt and I turned it around. Instead of yelling back and playing the “blame game” I decided to take a breath and look deep inside. I wasn’t going to get all caught up in her drama – I had to let go and find the “grow.” With some soul searching I saw a man who was trapped by the constraints of a suffocating relationship. I saw a person with incredible potential to love. I saw a person who had a lot to offer to the teenage girls of the world. I thank my wife for the wonderful gift she gave me on that day. Instead of being sad and bitter about this situation I decided to learn from it and move forward. Beautiful lessons like these surround us each day. Can you see the gifts in your life? I, personally, can’t help but feel blessed.

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