NEWSLETTER EWSLETTER NNER L IGHT M INISTRIES N IINNER LIGHT VOLUME 15 NUMBER 3
SEPTEMBER, 2004
LEARNING TO RELAX by Jim Gordon, President of ILM
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ife is a continual lesson. At least it seems that way for me. I find that I am ever learning from what is present in the moment. And what is present in the moment as I sit here typing this article is: learning another level of taking care of myself. I say learning “another level of taking care of myself” because I have found that lessons in this world have many levels or layers to them. I used to look at my learning as ‘doing, completing, and moving on’ to the next lesson, only to realize that a new level or layer of learning about a ‘previous lesson’ would arise. So now I am ever grateful for the learning experiences I have, and I stay present and aware of the unfolding process in my learning—for the next layer of experience and learning as it unfolds. Another way of putting this might be to say that while in the body and in this creation the work and learning continue, and, “It is done when it is done,” not in my time but in God’s. So, as I said earlier, the lesson present for me now is another layer of learning about taking care of me. I am on vacation as I write this article. I am here to relax and replenish myself. What I find for myself as I write this is: writing “I am here to relax and replenish” is easier than actually doing it. In my daily life I find that my days are very full with activities, overseeing the development and completion of projects, sharing with people, and so much more. So I have developed a daily practice of ‘doing, doing and more doing’! And this is generally good, for this is how I am able to get so much done with grace and ease. But, now I am here on vacation—with a different intention. Rather than ‘doing, doing and more doing’,
my intention here is one of relaxing, enjoying and replenishing myself. I understand the principal in this—and yet I have not given myself the opportunity for much practical experience to draw upon. Often my vacations of the past have been filled with . . . ‘doing, doing and more doing’! This might entail a lot of sightseeing, involvement with others as they busy themselves with activities, and also feeling responsible for those others who are traveling with me. You know, making sure they are having a great time, and not paying attention to the time I am having. So what I find myself doing now is learning about relaxation and paying attention to the lesson that is present for me now, which is learning more about taking care of me. I am finding this to be an unfolding process, one day at a time. The first couple of days here were busy with getting settled in. Then came a moment in time when I realized: my ‘learning moment’ was upon me. I found that I was able to sit back and relax and do nothing or . . . hmmm . . . I could get up, get the car keys and go! My old routine—go, go go! Now there is nothing wrong in ‘going’, in being active while on vacation. This time though, my lesson is about a different ‘doing’, that of relaxing and replenishing. And so I found myself in a struggle inside. There’s this part of me that is use to being active and doing in the world, and now there’s also this part of me calling me to do something different. It has taken a few days for me to begin to understand what it is to relax and enjoy the moment in a way that I have not done before. I decided to do something to assist me in this process of relaxing, so I got out my dictionary and looked up the word “relax.” Well did I get my eyes opened when I read the definition! “Relax: to spend time resting or doing things for pleasure, especially in contrast to or as a relief from the effort and stress of everyday life.” When I saw the (RELAX continues on page 3)