On this peaceful foggy Friday morning, leaves model the beauty of slowness as they float through the air. Drawn by a mystical force, conventionally known as gravity, their landing is cushioned this year by bright green grass.
I am reminded of Mason’s comment on my birthday card: “The trees are changing color here and dropping their leaves, but mostly due to convention, as its still quite warm.”
Slowing down is against convention in our culture. Slowing down is seen as necessary and conventional in most spiritual practices.
Rilke can be unconventional. See what you think – that is if you slow down enough to read his words below. I’m predicting the quote may scare you off (it would have me in the past) because it looks suspiciously like a poem.
Let Life Happen to You
“What should I say about your tendency to doubt your struggle or to harmonize your inner and outer life?
My wish is ever strong that you find enough patience within you and enough simplicity to have faith.
May you gain more and more trust in what is challenging, and confidence in the solitude you bear.
Let life happen to you.
Believe me: life is in the right in any case.”
I’m not certain I understand Rilke – especially the last line. If you have ideas about what it means, please email me or comment in comment section. One thought is when I’m rushing, I don’t have patience as Rilke wishes for us.
Are you slowing down yet?
Thanks for exploring the mystery – Nicky Mendenhall
I’m not certain I understand Rilke – especially the last line. If you have ideas about what it means, please email me or comment in comment section. One thought is when I’m rushing, I don’t have patience as Rilke wishes for us.
Are you slowing down yet?
Thanks for exploring the mystery – Nicky Mendenhall
Furnborg, Jonsered, Sweden, November 4, 1904, Letters to a Young Poet. Discovered in A Year With Rilke 2009).
6 comments
Good morning, Nicky!
The quote reminded me instantly of The Work of Byron Katie. She says so often in that teaching "When you fight with Reality you lose." This refers to the inner posture of being attached to thinking that something that is happening should not be happening ("There shouldn't be so much negativity in politics.") or something that isn"t happening should be happening ("I should have a better memory than I do.")
When we are really attached to that kind of thinking we live in a. State of continual upset and dissatisfaction. But when we can drop our story about how we think life ought to be and simply accept it for what it is, we can find inner peace. Not that we might not take action to improve our memory or create better rules for election campaigns, but that if we do we do it with a a sense of adventure and positive engagement with life, not from a sense of moral indignation.
Hope this helps.
Wow – it really does help! Thank you. I hope to write about this more in next blog post.
His last line makes me think of Mom's line on growing old. "Growing old is hell, but consider the alternative." She used to tell me everything will work out, because how can it NOT work out. Life goes on is what I assumed she meant.
Nolan – I never heard Mom say, consider the alternative. I am so glad to know that – I always thought her comment (without that) was negative and I felt bad for her.
Have you heard some churches say, "God is still speaking?" I would add to that – "Mom is still speaking" – thanks to you!
Hi Nicky,
Thinking about this message, to me "Let life happen to you.
Believe me: life is in the right in any case." means that whether we are rushing or paying attention and slowing down, life IS going to happen to us. We can go through it asleep and unaware, or we can take the time to try to understand, learn, and become aware. Sometimes this can be very painful, so some may think it's better to rush ahead and not look. But as we know, that will not make it go away. In my opinion, better to look at it and learn so that mistakes will not be repeated or so that new ways can be formulated.
It makes me think of what I used to tell my daughter, Rebecca, when she was small: If I asked her to do something she didn't want to do, she would fold her arms, make a face, and make a "huramph" sound. I would tell her, "Becca, you have to do it. You can do it and be mad or you can do it and be happy, it's up to you. But it has to be done." Same with this thought: We can slow down and pay attention or rush through, but "life is right in any case," is how it's going to be.
Best,
Connie
What clear and wise words Connie. Rush ahead not looking – how often I have tried that tactic!
I also love your example of how this applies to children.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
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