Today we ask that you let go of struggle.
Most people experience life as a struggle.
While it is believed that poor people struggle more than rich people, this is not necessarily the case. The rich struggle with different things, that is all. If you ask a rich person if he thinks his life is easy, he would most likely take offense, and proceed to tell you all about his struggles.
People do not like to struggle. But they are very attached to their struggles, nonetheless.
Struggle give people a sense of self-worth.
People also value others based on how much they appear to struggle.
For example, if an athlete struggles to win, this is considered more honorable and virtuous than an easy victory.
Many people say they want life to be easier.
At the same time, they derive their self-worth from struggle.
The hard-working person is more valuable than one who glides along through life. Taking it easy is considered lazy and irresponsible.
With such belief systems, is it any wonder that most people never experience a sense of ease in their lives?
They will not give themselves permission to do so.
Obviously, where there is poverty, oppression, violence, dire physical illness and the like, most humans are going to experience struggle.
However, people with roofs over their head, food in their bellies, and basically healthy bodies do not need to struggle as much as they do.
The reason they struggle so much is because they live in societies and cultures where struggle is perceived as virtuous, and where “taking it easy” or “not being hard on yourself” is considered lazy, selfish, irresponsible, and immoral.
If you have a roof over your head, food in your belly, and a basic level of physical health, you can experience life with a sense of ease.
All that is necessary is that you give yourself permission to take it easy, to not be hard on yourself.
This does not mean you will be lazy, unproductive, and worthless.
In truth, learning to live with a sense of ease will open up so much more flow and abundance in your existence.
Without constant struggle, you will be more creative and imaginative, more capable of problem-solving, and more capable of helping others.
There is absolutely nothing irresponsible about living in this way. In fact, it is highly responsible.
Do not believe that pain and torture is the key to masterful creation or “genius.” This is another false belief.
Once you begin to observe how deeply attached most cultures are to struggle, it can actually be shocking.
Taking it easy and not being hard on yourself does not mean, do not challenge yourself.
But one can experience a sense of ease and lightness around challenge. Challenge does not have to be a struggle.
Here is the key to letting go of struggle.
You do not have to do the things you do.
If you are not enslaved, in prison, or someone’s hostage, you do not have to do the things you do in your life.
You may protest that this isn’t true. You may feel anger around this.
But if you really look at your life with clear perception, you will see that you do the things you do by choice. No one is holding a gun to your head making you do these things.
So when you experience struggle, remind yourself:
“I do not have to be doing this right now.”
Really, you do not. With this awareness, if you continue to do what you are doing, recognize that you are doing it because you want to.
Understand why it is you want to be doing this thing that you’re doing. Since it is a choice, why are you choosing this. You have a reason.
You feed your dog for a reason. You change the baby’s diaper for a reason. You go to your job for a reason. You do not have to do these things. You do them by choice, for a reason.
Knowing this is the essence of the difference between a life of struggle, and a life of ease.
In the life of struggle, you do everything because you believe you “have to,” because you “should.” So you feel like a powerless slave. You have to feed the dog, you have to change the diaper, you have to go to work.
In the life of ease, you know you do not “have to” do anything. You do what you do consciously, because you want to, because you choose to. You choose to feed the dog, you choose to change the diaper, you choose to go to work.
Nothing external needs to change in your existence for you to move from struggle to ease.
Give yourself permission not to have to do all the things you think you “have to” do.
Give yourself permission to relax, to take it easy, to not be hard on yourself.
And then see what you want to do. See what you choose to do.
Let go of your attachment to struggle. Struggle does not make you worth more.
wordfromthewell 