Sleepwalking through Life...

For most of us, we tend to view Life as being "around the corner". At Isha, I have been fortunate to glimpse an experience of swimming breathless in a surging ocean. But after returning back, the experience slowly fades into oblivion and I tend to get caught in the rut again. The realization that one cannot rely on an over-generous gift forever. For our part, we need to make a commitment to truly live Life in an intense fashion on a day to day basis. The problem is that, the volition to do it 'just later' is so deep rooted and appealing for two reasons - one that 'just later' truly looks to be around the corner, and the second that the deep rootedness of the habit has made it second nature. Fortunately, our true deep desire will always remain first nature and is always there to be reclaimed. Paramahansa Yogananda wrote "Very few of us know how much we can put into life if we use it properly, wisely, and economically. Let us economize our time -- lifetimes ebb away before we wake up, and that is why we do not realize the value of the immortal time God has given us." What a warning! This is certainly true in my experience. As I look back, I see more than ten years have truly ebbed away. In all these times, periods that truly stand out are those where I have been swimming in the surging ocean for whatever reason. Why do we need to wait for forty more years to pass and look back to count moments like these? It is our Life and is waiting eagerly for us to make the most of it! Why cannot Life be a series of golden moments that light up our inner Sky? We only need to wake up from the deep inner slumber. The tools are already there - sharpen the saw and let the fireworks start!