On the day that the Christian world celebrates the great sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, I am in the mind to think of suffering and surrender.

As I was lying full of needles yesterday, seeing green throbbing visions behind my eyes in the pursuit of some relief, two teachers visited me in their turn:

Gotcha ~ This fellow was there to warn me of the dangerous poison of stagnation. My recent bout of non-stop sickness has indeed left me feeling stuck. Too exhausted to make progress, indeed barely able to keep afloat. His appearance reminded me this would not always be so, and that sometimes that which dislodges us from our torpor are the results of the ancient Chinese curse “May you live in interesting times.” Powerful motive then, to shake loose the languishing tendencies I’ve been indulging.

Himself ~ Possessed of magic and charged with the care of both the hunter and his prey, this energy was also warning of a narrow focus on one aspect of existence and the dangers of forgetting both power and duty. He warns that if I cling to my perspective, I will continue to be thwarted and robbed of my energy. His presence suggests a sacrifice is required to free myself from the snare of my own expectations.

So, I’ve decided to make my own synchronicity, and forestall karmic rug-pulling by simply coming awake to my own stubborn alliance to the notion there is nothing I can do about my circumstances. Whether or not I can magically heal myself of the physical ailments by which I am beset, I can always choose either despair or confidence in the face of circumstances. I can select for the cognitive bias in favor of my ability to rebound, or the likelihood that the onslaught of difficulty will be unrelenting.

Even if I turn out to be wrong, it seems there are clear advantages in sacrificing the belief that suffering is eternal. To accepting that what cannot be avoided might be to some greater and more meaningful end. Seems like a good thing, indeed.