Guided into Nothingness
One morning this week, I immersed myself in Dr. Joe Dispenza's meditation, "Changing Boxes," beautifully accompanied by Mei-lan's vocals. The meditation gently guided me into a quiet, expansive space Dr. Joe calls "nothingness." Here, we release attachments, judgments, and challenges, allowing ourselves to simply be present with infinite possibilities.
Dr. Joe posed a profound question:
"What would it feel like if your challenge no longer existed?"
As I reflected on this, particularly around my current struggles with perceptions of men, relationship tensions, and societal divisions, I recognized immediately and deeply what my heart longed to feel:
Freedom.
The Power of Not Taking Things Personally
It might sound abstract, but what emerged was crystal clear: true freedom comes from letting go—especially letting go of taking other people's actions personally. When I make it about me, I play the victim.
Lately, I've been feeling the weight of my experiences with men. Not just personally but collectively, I have noticed how the political climate and cultural shifts seem to stir up fear, control, and confusion. I've been hurt, disappointed, and even frustrated. But I'm starting to see that much of what I took personally wasn't really about me. So many men struggle to find footing in a world that's changing fast. And when fear isn't faced, it often shows up as withdrawal or dominance.
From Wildness to Wisdom
Then, Richard Rohr reminded me of something crucial. True masculinity—and indeed true humanity—is a journey from wildness to wisdom, requiring deep self-reflection and healing. Like all of us, men wrestle with inner wounds and unresolved grief. More often than not, their behavior has nothing to do with me—it's just the echo of their own inner battles.
The Freedom of Forgiveness
When I finally stopped taking it all so personally, something softened in me. A spaciousness opened up inside my heart. It felt like freedom—clear, light, unburdened. From that space, forgiveness didn't feel forced; it felt natural. Compassion wasn't something I had to work at—it just came. And slowly, my relationships began to shift. A friend who chose himself over our friendship, or Larry, my husband whose politics often differ from mine—these interactions became less personal hurts and more invitations into deeper compassion and understanding.
Aligning with a Greater Trust
While Dr. Joe doesn't mention God, my spiritual truth and journey naturally align this experience with surrendering to something greater. The practice of letting go and trusting fully resonates powerfully with my deep trust in God's wisdom and loving presence. In this meditation, I see a beautiful intersection between Dr. Joe's guidance and my spirituality, including the contemplative practice known as Centering Prayer, where one simply rests quietly, surrendering fully to God's loving action.
In other words, while Dr. Joe invites me to feel the freedom of a challenge-free reality, my heart knows this freedom is most deeply felt through surrender and profound trust in God's loving guidance—trusting completely without needing to control outcomes or even imagine specifics.
Forgiveness as the Path to Happiness
This realization feels transformative, particularly as I integrate today's A Course in Miracles lesson: "Forgiveness is the key to happiness." The Course teaches that our unhappiness arises from self-condemnation and judgment—projected outward onto others. When we forgive, we remove the barriers we've built against love. We step away from victimhood and reclaim our innate innocence and wholeness.
By practicing forgiveness consciously, as guided by the meditation, I recognize that others' actions and my reactions are opportunities to heal, to see beyond perceived wrongs, and to realize our shared innocence. When I forgive others for actions I've personalized, I also forgive myself—setting both of us free.
Compassionate Clarity
The meditation gently reminded me that my heart knows the way forward. By holding others in compassionate clarity rather than personal judgment, I become free. And in that freedom, I can genuinely love. I will continue to practice this meditation regularly as a reminder to return to this freeing perspective, integrating forgiveness daily as the essential path to happiness.
Your Invitation to Freedom
Today, I invite you to consider as well:
"What would your heart feel if your greatest challenge no longer existed? How might your life transform if you surrendered fully, trusting completely in the wisdom beyond your own?"
Perhaps you, too, will experience the gentle yet powerful freedom waiting in that space of complete surrender and trust.
Take It Easy!