What are you suffering?” Asked the flower.
Excuse me?
“What are you suffering?” Came the question again.
I looked closer at the beauty standing right in front of me.
I do not understand the question.
“Well, are you suffering your own thoughts and feelings? Thoughts and feelings of other people? Or, the thoughts and feelings saturating the atmosphere?”
I imagine I am suffering all three of them.
“If so, which of these do you imagine you have influence over?
I guess, my own thoughts and feelings.
“Good. Now answer me this, how do you influence these?”
I believe thoughts and feelings are influenced by my past; built upon past thoughts and feelings.
“Yes, this seems true. So if you want to influence your suffering, how would you go about it?
I would give myself some distance from my own thinking, and give myself a ‘thinking time out’; which may give me a ‘feeling time out’. Which would give me a break from my suffering.
“That sounds logical.”
What would I do in the meantime, while taking this time out?
“Another good question. Breathe. Relax. Exercise. Love. Think of it as a mini vacation. A series of mini vacations like this can provide you with enough quiet time to help you gain more insight into your relationship with your suffering. This insight, can propel you to a new location, a place of understanding; that already exists inside of you.”
I took a moment to watch my merry-go-round of thoughts and feelings, turned around and walked to where my peace and love resides.
I looked back again and realized my everyday thoughts and feelings seemed less important. My relationship with the world, with others, made a little more sense. I could see my suffering was not who I am. It was just a relationship I chose to have with the world at times. I could choose it. Or not.
“What is your choice?” Asked the flower.
Today I choose to listen to the advice of a flower. To breathe, relax, exercise and love. Most of all, Love!
