It is easy to succumb to feeling that life is hard, or not going our way, at least occasionally.
Particularly when there seems to be no reason to why certain bad things happen.
When everything just seems to be out of our control and some unseen force appears to be scheming to bring about our downfall in every possible way.
The whole world, nay the whole universe, seems to be against us.
And someone comes along, usually a spiritual person of some sort *cough cough* and tells you that, “All is well, all is well.”
Reminds me of this exchange…
“What about Rhiannon’s kidnapping?” Brian made a desperate attempt to get some sign of emotion out of his father, to ensure he hadn’t turned into a zombie. “Surely you’re concerned about that. She is your granddaughter, after all!”
“Why concerned?” Myrddin queried. “All is going splendidly.”
“Splendidly!” Brian barked. “If this is what you call splendid, I’d sure hate to see your idea of shithouse.”
Masters Of Reality: The Gathering, by Traci Harding
All is going splendidly.
Myrddin could not have been more correct, even if he was pissing the hell out of Brian, his son.
“Bad” is a trained state that we default to when we do not understand the circumstances of our experiences.
“We can never see past the choices we don’t understand. [...] You’ve already made the choice. Now you have to understand it.”
The Oracle, The Matrix Reloaded
The question most often asked is, “Why do bad things happen?”
However, if we choose to shift our perspective, we can choose to ask instead, “What is bad?”
What is bad?
Bad is anything we do not like, anything that causes us suffering.
Bad is everything we do not desire.
However, this is an all-inclusive creation that we experience. There is nothing that is truly “unwanted”.
All things have a reason and a purpose for existing. For we created it all. We are Source. Incarnate in the physical, yes, but that does not make us any less a part of Source. We are still Source, and Source is still us.
We as Source created all things in our experience so why would we create something we do not desire?
If that which we do not desire actually serves a greater desire.
Abraham calls this contrast. I learnt the term from them, and I am ever so grateful for their beautiful and ever so succinct way of putting things into words.
Contrast is not bad. Contrast can be unpleasant, yes, contrast can even be extremely unpleasant.
But we created contrast because from a broader perspective, we understood that what we stand to gain from this contrast that we have created far outweighs whatever unpleasant form our contrast could come in.
How do we identify contrast? Easy. Contrast is anything we do not desire. The concept and belief of “bad” is contrast, for example.
So what is the purpose and the function of contrast?
Contrast serves a manifold purpose:
- Contrast shows you what you truly desire
- Contrast refines your present understanding of your desires
- Contrast keeps you up-to-date with your ever evolving desires
So, when viewed in this perspective, there is nothing “bad” for all unpleasant experiences were created by ourselves in order to serve our highest, broadest desires.
Turns out that “bad” is really a blessing in disguise.
Therefore, sages of the ages do not lie when they nod and say, “All is well, all is well.” They know this to be true.
“Bad” is a mindset, not incontrovertible reality.
“Bad” is a choice we make on how we want to view any circumstance in our life.
I am not saying that this is a cure or a fix for suffering. That is a far more complicated topic altogether.
I am saying, however, that understanding that we are not victims of some uncontrollable cruel, cruel universe is the first step to being able to view any unpleasant or unwanted circumstances in a constructive and far more empowering way.
