by Stanley Peele
Many people dread going to the hospital; and while in the hospital they are anxious and fearful. Rightly so. It is a place of pain, suffering and sadness. Yet there is another way to look at it. Having been hospitalized 25 times, my view is that a patient can also find peace there.
While in the hospital, you are often confined to a bed, hooked up to IV tubes or other paraphernalia – so that you cannot move much. In other words, there is nothing you can do except lie there.
Therefore, why not relax and enjoy the ride? While there you do not have to worry about having to do chores at home. There is not a thing you can do about them. You do not have to worry about your job or about any of your usual worries. You can simply let go of all these things. And, if you wish, you can go to a place of greater tranquility than ever. You simply surrender to the process, turn off the constant chatter of the "monkey mind," and relax.
Many of us believe that in order to be close to God or the Source, we must be pristine, that we must first seek all the positive aspects of spiritual life. That is, that all our thoughts must be clean and positive. That we must be helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, cheerful, thrifty, brave, and reverent.
This is a fine ideal. Yet we should also recognize there are times when we fail to be helpful, are unfriendly, sad – and so forth.
Here's the deal: Yes, we should try to be all these positive things; yet we should also recognized there are times when we are not. In other words, we are human. We should love all of ourselves, not just those parts of ourselves which measure up to the ideal.
The ego is often maligned. Yet it is an integral part of us. It gives us a foundation. Our personality is built around the ego. Great joy comes through the ego. Two examples are when we watch a basketball game; or when we enjoy a comedy such as Arsenic and Old Lace.
We are each special in the eyes of the Universe; and should look at ourselves as special. In fact, each of us is a walking miracle! And a part of that miracle is our ability to joke, to forget things, and to enjoy a chocolate cake!!
So, a vital step toward spiritual upliftment is to love ourselves; to love our lower selves. We bring all of ourselves to the light. We say to the Universe: "Here I am! All of me." Popeye knew this. He said, "I yam what I yam."
Do we have to approach God with downcast eyes and only the purest of thoughts? No, we approach our Source EXACTLY as we are. Do we have to join a nunnery or a monastery to draw near to God? No. That is fine if that is your choice. But the approach to our Source can be in the marketplace, while walking in the woods, while reading a newspaper.
There is another benefit to being in a hospital: It can help us to realize what is important in our lives. Our perception shifts. We have an opportunity to discard trivial things and turn our attention to that which is important. Buying jewelry, clothes or a car become less important; expressing love to our families becomes more important. We are less interested in such things as the Michael Jackson case and more interested in helping others. We become less critical of people, less judgmental.
Our needs are modest.
While in the hospital I am able to go to a place of total serenity. If it can be done in a hospital, with all the noise and disruption; think how much easier it is to do it in a quiet place where you can breathe fresh air, where you can see the sky, trees, bushes, grass, flowers, lakes and streams?
There is nothing to prevent you from becoming tranquil right now.
First, bring your whole self to the table. Bring that special person that is you; that person with all its flaws and all its radiance.
Second, breathe and relax. Let go of the "monkey mind." Let go of control. Peace is there. Our Source is there.
Take the time, right now, to enjoy a few minutes of silence. May the peace that passeth all understanding fill your hearts and minds with love.
~Stanley Peele is an emergency judge in North Carolina, and author of A Simple Guide to Spiritual Healling and The River of Light, and What I Learned From Edgar Cayce.