Part 2, The Butterfly

Part 1 of this post described a downtrodden guy in rehab and on the brink of divorce. Pretty much over the brink, actually. It’s well worth the read. I and many others worked with him at Gulf Breeze Recovery (GBR), where he studied the Three Principles, and wow! His life sure has changed. Actually, it’s the exact same life that he had before and hated. His life didn’t change; he changed. He recently spoke to a class that I taught at GBR via Zoom, which is like Skype. Here’s what he’s like now after gaining a simple understanding of the mind and putting it into practice.

The first thing he said is that living really isn’t even that hard. He has the same life, the same job, the same wife, the same kids, and the same house. He hated his life before, and now he loves it. He’s happier now than he’s ever been. He didn’t even know a person could feel this way! And it’s not even hard. Wow. He’s off all of those psych meds, he’s not drinking or using any other drugs, and he feels awesome. He was recently at home washing the dishes, and he felt so much gratitude well up that he cried tears of joy for 15-20 minutes. I’ve had the same experience before, so I know how truly amazing it is. Very humbling, too. And no, I don’t really like washing dishes.

He had lost his job as a result of his issues, and he was able to get it back. He simply told his boss his story as authentically as he could, and he wasn’t looking for any particular outcome. He was just honest. And you know what? She could see that and she gave it back to him. And I’m sure she’s very happy she did based on what he’s like now. Also, note that it’s a pretty stressful job. Now he knows where stress comes from, though. It comes from how he sees things, not the things themselves. This is a game changer. So he doesn’t have to drink a bunch of alcohol to cover up the stress. That stress is actually valuable information letting him know that he’s doing some low quality thinking. So he takes care of it at the source and it goes away.

Another thing he said is that there are other times like when he was washing those dishes that he just feels these deeper positive feelings, deeper than emotions, rise up out of nowhere. And insights about life just pop into his head at random times. He started writing them down and sharing them on Facebook, and people started really liking them. So much so that one person said he should write his story in a book; that it would help people. This blew him away. He literally said that he used to think he was a loser who had no life, and now he’s found these deep, awesome feelings coming from within. And they are within you and me right now and can only be covered up. And now it looks like he’s going to write a book that’ll help others find this peace that’s inside of them! Really? Is this the same guy??

The key to all of this is his thinking. He still notices bad thoughts, but he described them as a stray cat. If you don’t feed it, it won’t hang around. And here’s the best part. When this happens, he just waits for another thought and a better one comes along. The key word there is waits. What’s he doing? He’s spending more time in his built-in wisdom/common sense than in his head. Ask and ye shall receive. And what do you know? He feels better. And he’s noticed that it’s not even hard. Also note that he used to be a devotee of the intellect. He’s very intelligent, after all. Now he goes with the feeling, though. He has experienced first hand the truth that his inner wisdom/intuition/common sense is more intelligent than even the smartest of humans. This is the shift from the head to the heart. And this is a math guy talking (me)! This stuff really does work.

Another important thing to note is that by not feeding those bad thoughts, they don’t grow. You see, it’s not the thought that’s the problem; it’s the feeding, which is more thinking along the same lines. There’s where we create really bad feelings in our body. He stopped doing that by learning about it and then by living and practicing. And he does find himself in a low mood sometimes, but he doesn’t make a big deal over it. He knows it’ll pass. He stays out of his head, though, and maybe listens to a CD of a teacher he likes. He loves Sydney Banks, and he said it doesn’t take long before the mood is gone. This is NOT the way he used to live before. Can you see the power in this?? Wow…

Regarding his marriage, what hit home was something he read in a book by Sydney Banks, the founder of the Three Principles, while at GBR. Maybe it was The Enlightened Gardener? I don’t remember. But it was that your partner needs to be your best friend. We’ve all heard that, but he’s taken it to heart, and he says his relationship with his wife is now way better than it ever was, and it’s not even close. The entire relationship has been transformed. They’re even planning on renewing their vows. And I think he had to beg her not to send divorce papers to GBR!

This is a real life transformation, letting what’s always been inside each of us come out to live and breathe and play. It was always there and was out in the open when he was a child. That didn’t last long, though; it got covered up when the teenage years hit. And now that it’s out in the open again, there’s no going back. And that’s a beautiful thing. My thanks to him for letting me write this up, and I hope it helps you. If you want what he has now, first know that you already have it. It’s inside of you right now at this very moment and can only be covered up. It’s all about your thinking, and this is a very learnable thing. Then you just gently practice. Which radio station are you listening to in any moment, your ego voice or your built-in wisdom/common sense? Your body will tell you by how it feels. And as always, let me know if I can help – it just takes education and then gentle practice. And the education is all over this blog. All the best to you, and let me know if I can help!