A Warrior's Meditation

I know some people who have lived hard lives in the service of their country, or their community.    I can think of no stress equal to that of placing your life in jeopardy, and those who have emerged from that cauldron whole and healthy have lessons to teach.    In a recent email conversation with one of these "hard men with high mileage" the subject of his age (almost sixty) and "incredible BP rate" that boggles his doctor, he said that there is a "trick," that he "cheats."  And here is how:

"I need a minute to prepare, but then I close my eyes, think of a nice cloud, and picture myself around age 8-12 or so, and in the presence of my fraternal-grandmother, Maggie, the sweetest, kindness, most loving soul I've ever encountered in life to-date."

I mentioned that I found this to be a brilliant approach.  His reply:

"Brilliance?  Jeez.  I would have thought just plain common-sense.  Just go back to whatever point in childhood when you were the happiest, or perhaps I'm taking my own for granted and wrongly imposing my view on and towards others.  To me, inner peace is easy.  It's that external bullshit trying to make it's way in to fuck my game-plan up that's a bitch to deal with at times.  But, then too, old son, I haven't fared very far from my childhood and have been playing a kid's game most of my life.  Hell, I didn't do anything any different, just a tad more complicated.  My whole career had been nothing more than an extension of cops 'n robbers, hide 'n seek turned into hide 'n sneak, and all wrapped up in a overgrown Dennis The Menace suit.  I'd tell folks in a minute if I ever drew a crowd big enough...

Want to be happy, at peace, and content?  Go back to your childhood, or some point in your life where you were the happiest, and simply tweak and update that which gave you pleasure, and keep on keepin' on."
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That was just terrific, and I recommend the approach heartily.


Steve