Jafree Ozwald | November 6 2012
“Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside. ” ~ Ramana Maharshi
There is this incredible film that has been out for a while now called, “The Amazing Life of ____.” And guess what? You are the main star of it! Yes, you’ve single handedly produced this movie, directed the entire show, set the stage, hired the entire cast, all the while you’re playing the lead part. Wow, you must be amazingly talented! There may have been only one tiny little issue along the way. When you were designing this movie, acting out the scenes on stage, choosing your cast, you started feeling all the intense drama about your production, and we think you might have contracted a bit of amnesia. You may have forgotten that you are playing an imaginary role, on a temporary stage that you set up in this blockbuster motion picture.
Sometimes when we’ve been playing a certain role for sooooo long, we forget that its just one little part in the bigger play. Anytime that you get wrapped up in your personal drama about this show, you always have the option to step off the stage, sit down, say NO to all the hype, and begin watching from the seats in the back of the theatre. Whenever you feel the movie of your life has become too dramatic and not so enjoyable, you can remember that you have the choice to unplug the projector, turn down the volume on the audio, and take a peaceful walk out in nature.
On your walk, think about how all of the drama you’ve experienced inside this main lead actor in your life’s movie is not real. You have simply over-identified with the painful thoughts and feelings, simply because things didn’t turn out exactly the way your ego wanted them to go. Any over-identification with the role you’re playing in the movie of your life is what causes all your suffering. If you try to run away and escape from this role, you might spend many years in hiding, feeling lost and confused about what’s the true movie script for you.