Beyond Force

The Art of Slipping

“Enlightenment is an accident; our job is to become accident-prone.”

— Anonymous

Dear Friends,

We often think force is our greatest strength in achieving a task, but there is something just as important … I learned this in part from my son.

Many years ago I took Navarre to an indoor swimming pool that had a large slide about five stories high. A new swimmer, he really wanted to go down the slide but was intimidated.

He walked up the stairs to the top of the slide planning to slide down, while I waited for him at the bottom. Two minutes later, he walked back down the stairs, too afraid to go down.

This went on for a good twenty minutes, up and down the stairs.

Then after about the 7th time, I looked up a saw a wave of blonde hair swishing down the slide, and Navarre's face, beaming.

When he landed at the bottom and got out of the pool, I was so happy for him and I wanted to know how he broke through his fear.

“How did you do it, Navarre?” I asked. “How did you finally break through your fear?”

I was expecting some profound insight into the nature of the mind …

Instead, he replied, "Well, dad, I was standing at the top of the slide looking down, like I had done before, and then . . . then I slipped."

“You slipped? You mean you never chose to go down?” I inquired.

“No, I slipped. It was great. I am going again.”

THE ART OF SLIPPING

I think this is true for all of us more often than not … we slip. It is not only through willpower or force … grace has its place.

We put the effort in, then we let go. We allow something bigger than us to move through. The universe intervenes.

So today, may you show up … and may you slip.

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Blessings,

SOREN