Our One Most Essential Choice.

Water Lilies, by Claude Monet.

I was reading a passage this morning, from author Pema Chödrön and referenced in her book ,"Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change."

The phrase was quite simple and to summarize, "the moral ambiguity of human existence."

For some reason, this phrase spoke to me today, as I pondered over its many interpretations within the context of my own life. 

"The moral ambiguity of human existence," she continues, "(refers) to an essential choice that confronts us all: whether to cling to the false security of our own fixed ideas and tribal views, even though they may bring us only momentary satisfaction, or to overcome our fear and make the leap to living an authentic life."

In other words, how can we relax into this continuous unsettledness of being human?

To feel, to think, to believe...to act...are the very aspects of our existence that bring purpose, and passion to our lives.

And yet, these very same things may cause at any given moment indescribable heartache, uncertainty, sadness, and despair.

Being human isn't always so easy now, isn't it? But, it's this very aspect of being human that causes a simple sunrise to turn into "the promise of dawn." And, to an aged artist nearly blinded, it may bring eternal life to a pond of summer water lilies.

My dears, the paradigm, it seems, is the spark.

"But rather than being disheartened by the ambiguity, the uncertainty of life," Pema offers, "what if we accepted it and relaxed into it? What if we said, 'Yes, this is the way it is: this is what it means to be human,' and decided to sit down and enjoy the ride?"

I think, and this is just my most simple view....that we spend far too much time wincing and moaning, that we miss out on the magnificence of being human.

So, stop stressing so much, my friends...and settle into life instead.

I promise, you'll be much happier, in the end.