"Repetition is based on body rhythms, so we identify with the heartbeat, or with walking or with
breathing." ~Karlheinz Stockhausen
Life is repetitive.
Nothing can be obtained in life without it. From the moment of birth our brains are designed to attach pleasure or pain to experiences and this guides us to either repeat or avoid repeating
things.
I think we all grasp this principle. If we want to learn a new skill, or sport, or recipe we grasp that our first stab at it will likely not be
our best performance. They say it takes about ten years to become a master of most things, and that alone is always a helpful reminder to allow ourselves time and grace to grow in our proficiencies.
But here are a couple of places this reality bites back.
When the repetition is painful.
Or when we don’t have time for mastery.
First, mastery and its accompanying success can be quite painful. Often times, risk grows in relation to our accomplishments. Risk and Pain are often avoided for obvious reasons, but if they are, then mastery of some things
may not possible.
Shortcuts on the road to mastery do not lead to mastery. Some pain must be risked and expected.
Second, time can seem like a real limitation to mastery. We spend the first twenty years just mastering how to take care of ourselves. As we get to the end of our lives our physical decline and mortality create undeniably limitations.
Time causes us to compress our life goals and hopes into a span and to reorder our experiences based upon the best return on investment. We become reductionists by default. This can be overcome with a new perspective but most cannot find a reason why they would need to
Here is the wisdom: Mastery of the "who" of life will allow the "what" of life to take care of itself, not vise-versa.(Matt 6:33)
You see, there is one area where we are always gaining mastery: Our story. No one knows our experiences better than us. Spirituality is simply intentionality in this
space.
Repetition is always teaching us. If we pan far enough back you can actually see it as benevolence. The moment you become aware that your life has never seen a dead end or a detour, then you will see that your life story is actually a life-giving message.
It is the story and rhythm of the universe, that new life grows out of suffering and trial. It's a constant repetitive story. That things matter far less than connections behind them. There cannot be enough people sharing this news.
This wonderful, meaningful, inclusive, life-giving, good news. Now being told over and over in a life called
you.
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"I help people who want to understand spirituality to make sense of their religious experience, so they can clearly see God in the world." ~Keven Winder, PhD
For coaching, questions or comments:
keven@kevenwinder.com
