Black Friday, Gray Thursday, Cyber Tuesday, Small Business Saturday… I was struck by the onslaught of ‘special’ shopping days when stores open at ungodly early hours to offer consumers holiday bargains. Now I’m not one to refuse a good deal when I see one, so no hectoring here about the true spirit of the holiday. Instead, I propose we borrow a page from the big box stores and create a new day for finding the best gift in the world at a price that can’t be beat. Let’s call it Mindful Monday – Hearts Open between 4am and 7am.
The fact is, and really there is no refuting it, the gift that means the most can’t be bought. It’s called happiness. And it’s free. And it’s available! And it’s yours to enjoy on Mindful Monday (or True Self Tuesday and Spiritual Sunday and Thoughtful Thursday). To find it you simply sit back, breathe slowly and allow the deep, joyful light within you to emerge from behind the false beliefs and negative programming of your past. That’s it. There’s nothing more to do. Within you, available right now, you have everything you need to achieve a life of joy and fulfillment.
Every spiritual tradition has its own way of expressing this truism. Buddhists call it our True Nature; Christians call it Christ Consciousness; Sufis call it One with the Beloved; Kabbalists call it the Holy Spark of Light; and yogis call it the Self or the yoking of the finite with the Infinite. Nowhere is it written that Consumerism – spending six billion dollars on ‘stuff’ on Black Friday – is part of the definition!
But as Groucho Marx said, “If you don’t accept the premise, you cannot get the joke.” You have to believe that the source of wellness is within you. Once you get beyond the outer layer, your ego, into the inner realm, your infinite consciousness, you can experience who you really are at your core.
This Monday (or any and every day of the week), make it a point to put aside some time between 4am and 7am to sit quietly. Those are the ambrosial hours when the subtle body is open most widely to alignment with the energy of the universe. Close your eyes and consciously breathe deeply for several minutes. Soon you will feel connected with a larger reality removed from individual desire. You’ll notice a sense of Oneness, a sense of calm. Free from the self-important pandering of the ego, you can access the real You, your inner Truth. It will be a gift of pure happiness.