Changing the inputs

I decided to change the inputs into my life, from negative to positive.

So...
I meditated this morning.
On the way to work, I played a recording of Swami Kriyananda on the subject of stress.
On my lunchbreak I read a small section from Paramhansa Yogananda A Biography.
I walked in quiet contemplation of Yogananda

I feel great. I feel in touch with a spiritual teacher (Yogananda) - I also feel more relaxed about whatever the world will throw at me.  For God is the Doer in all things.  In all things, I can find God.

Ocean

I've had a lot going on in my life lately.  We all do.  For me it's family emergencies, work chaos, financial crisis, personal health.  We all have our complaints.  I'm not trying to boast on mine.

But recently, after having lunch with Dharmaraj from Ananda - I really was feeling pretty meditative.  Just hanging out with someone who meditates, like Dharmaraj kinda rubs off and made me feel like I was more relaxed.

So there I was yesterday, driving home from work, and I see the ocean.  I'm coming down Colorado Ave, towards the beach, and I see the ocean way out there... and I'm thinking "look how perfectly still it is.  It's a straight line."

But it isn't calm out there in the ocean.  It isn't a straight line, when you're on a fishing boat a few miles out... you're up and down, side to side... then under the surface are all the currents going on.

Then it dawned on me.  Those undercurrents, and waves, and fuss in the ocean - it's only there when you're there at that spot.  If you stand back far enough - it's just a straight line - it's calm.

Similarly, if I step back far enough, issues like "who left the company?" or "how much money is left in my checking account?" become less reactive.  They're still there, and you deal with it, just without the reactive stress of being tossed and sunk.

 So how do we get the mind off the turmoil and onto something stable that's outside our reactive environment?  That's where the concept of God, or Guru, or Saint can really help.  It's a symbol, we can put our mind on, that isn't affected by the turmoil around us. 

Anyway, those are my thoughts on a day like this.