I’m constantly inspired by the teachings of Abraham Hicks. They tell this story about their human interpreter, Esther, and her husband who were driving a “monster bus” around the country, towing a small car behind them.
Apparently one day, when hooking up their little “toad” to the bus, the transmission was left in park instead of neutral. Esther didn’t know and took off to their next destination, dragging the little car behind. The bus didn’t even notice. Esther had no idea what was happening. Abraham says “the wheels were on fire” when they finally stopped for an unrelated reason and discovered the unfortunate condition their vehicle was in.
Abraham tells this story to illustrate the power of momentum in our lives but it came back to me a few times yesterday and I saw it from a different angle. One where the universe is the bus and we’re the toads.
The universe unfolds in a billion different ways and, while not all of those ways favor us personally, generally speaking, it does a fair job. I won’t go so far as to say that there’s “intelligent design” but there appears to be a pattern. Things may rise and fall but they remain mostly in balance. Additionally, there’s little that we individuals can do to substantially alter that pattern. It was here before we were born and it will be here long after we die. Like Esther’s monster bus, it moves ever forward, whether we like it or not.
As humans, we think we’re driving our lives. We make choices, learn lessons, change direction, etc. Yet what if we chose to see ourselves as merely being towed along by a force bigger, wiser and far more powerful than us? How does that change our sense of freedom and safety in the world?
I see humans as scared little tow cars being dragged behind their own personal universal bus. We apply the brakes every time we worry or complain about the direction we’re heading in. Some of us develop serious emotional and physical issues from the sheer effort of fighting for control of our own lives. We think that our attention to the problems and the pains of life keeps us safe but it really doesn’t. It only keeps us from enjoying the ride.
How would life change for you if you decided to let go of the brakes and trust that the bus was headed to exactly what you want? How would it feel in your body? How would it sound in your mind? What changes do you think you’d see in yourself and those around you if you chose to trust instead of fear?
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Continuing with the analogy…
Many of our problems in relationships stem from our confusion about whose bus to follow. Following someone else’s bus instead of our own is a recipe for disaster.
Whose bus are you following?
If it’s yours, let go of the brakes and enjoy the ride!