That’s what I say… I Can’t Get No Satisfaction!
Today I woke up is a crappy, grumpy, and all-around feeling of dissatisfaction. It seems I’ve been on a losing streak for the past 2-years. I was sure that today, satisfaction was so far away from any realm of possibility that I pondered how good it would be to skip my morning spiritual practice, head to Denny’s for a Grand Slam Breakfast, and wallow in self-pity like pancakes smothered in syrup…
I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. It was the same bed and the same side as yesterday, but today my context had changed. My attitude was different. My thinking was stinking—like 4-day old salmon.
Before reeling in the drunken monkey that was flinging poo all over my parade, I thought about the Rolling Stones Song, “I Can’t Get No.” I related wholeheartedly with the song’s sentiment.
I decided to meditate because that’s what I do. It’s my ritual, my routine. I checked it off my list and proceeded to get well caffeinated for the day’s work.
After several productive hours and flinging my share of poo at wifey. After lunch, the Stones song came back to the surface of my mind. So I played it…
Here are the parts of the song that reinforced and resonated with my charming disposition du jour:
- “I can’t get no satisfaction
- …tellin’ me more and more About some useless information
- …that man comes on to tell me How white my shirts can be
- …he can’t be a man ’cause he doesn’t smoke The same cigarettes as me
- …baby better come back later next week Cause you see I’m on losing streak
YUP! Pretty much the entire ditty reinforced my state of mind. I felt vindicated. The Stones, yeah man, they understood.
Then, like a flash of lightning, I saw the source of my discontent. My dissatisfaction. My self-indulgent mental masturbation…
I was looking outside for answers, happiness, satisfaction.
Yet again, I was stuck on a one-way street, in heavy traffic, on a dead end street.
I smiled. It’s been a long while since my old friend came to call. But there he was. Squatting in the middle of my awareness. He was sitting pretty and as proud as he could be. The interloper was Anger.
Indeed. Anger was in the house. He crept into my inner-sanctum, my holy-of-holies and was running the show.
Recognizing my unwelcome guest, I started to go down the path to see what weakness he exploited to find his way where he was not welcome. When the bigger awareness landed like a thunderclap…
Why doesn’t matter. My thoughts froze. My mind completely still. In the quietude of my mind, I saw the folly of trying to figure out that which doesn’t matter. I brought myself back to center. Evicted Anger. And carried on with my day.
The learning I want to share with you is that we have a choice about when, where, and how we engage with our thoughts, emotions, and world.
Consciously choosing the subject of our awareness, where we direct our attention and focus our thinking is the benefit of spiritual growth. It’s an on-command demonstration of our skill level.
Go ahead, give it a try… The next time you catch yourself trying to figure out the “why” of something, stop. See if the why matters and if not, then consciously choose your next thought and carry on creating a life you love.
Let’s start getting happy!