Instant Coffee and Change

I like to say we are in the generation of "instant coffee"  - we want it all and we want it now! Look around and the material world reflects and supports exactly that  - off course as all things have a dual purpose, there are some things about the instant world that I at least quite like - the connectivity it has facilitated as an example, I am sure there are many more endearing factors.


Into this world of instant results came the healing processes - gentle energies that given time, focused effort and patience can lead permanently to greater ease from dis - ease. Now, in order to make themselves known they took the route of communicating the instant miraculous results which while possible are actually the exception more than the norm! In my opinion while this did result in grabbing mind space, it has also been a great disservice to ourselves as well as to others. Far from being a quick - fix, these processes encourage you to embark on a journey, a way of life where one deals with change and other challenging occasions in life with a different perspective. And that is what brings true ease! The challenges may remain, but they don't bother one - that is freedom in its true sense for me!

Here are two of my favorite analogies on how these processes work -

1. The Gardener

Situation: Let us imagine a garden, a low wall surrounding it and a silent fountain at one end. There are some flowers and plants but it seems a little neglected as weeds and a few little creatures seem to be ruling parts of it. Given her busy life and lack of complete knowledge about these things, the owner of this garden has hired a gardener, to beautify this land. She has interviewed him and shared her vision with him and having found him capable and genial has given him the job. It is now time for the gardener to begin his work -

Visit 1 : The gardener on his first visit will check the quality of the soil and the plants. He will check the infestations if there are any and do some de-weeding. His first visit is an overall inspection and taking stock so he can prepare for the actual work of redesigning the garden. If the owner inspected the garden after the first visit she would probably find it almost unchanged.

Visit 2 : On his second visit, the gardener does a thorough de - weeding. He takes out plants that are no longer healthy or that would no longer fit the owner's vision of how she wants her garden. He mixes the fertilizer into the soil which means quite a bit of it is raked up and he sprays the pesticides where necessary. The owner on this inspection may be in for a shock as the garden would probably look bare and in a worse state than before and would need to hold the perspective that this is being readied for what she wants!!

Visit 3 : On his third visit, the gardener has brought the plants, seeds and flowers that the owner wanted. He goes about planting, re - potting and organizing, He may even have called someone to come fix the fountain and the sprinklers. The owner finds that while still not perfect there are definitely signs of improvement  - a few flowers and plants, the fountain and sprinkler working and she can see the beds where seeds have been planted and are expected to sprout. She even likes the extra twist he has given by pruning the bushes around the garden into creative shapes. There's still a way to go but things are shaping up

Visits  4,5,6,7... : On these visits, the gardener continues to plant, water and nourish, fight with stubborn weeds, perhaps mows the grass if it needs it. The owner is delighted to see the tiny little sprouts and the overall neat look of the place and is also slightly impatient about seeing the place in its final form

The Final Visit : The garden's looking splendid - with the flowers and the greens and the myriad colors, the fountain's bubbling away merrily and the grass is green and lush. For this season, the work's been done and the gardener is giving the owner a few tips and tricks on how she can maintain the place till winter comes. He gives her a quick download on what she can expect over the next few months and which plants will flower again the next season and which need to be replaced. He assures her that she can call on him for any questions and says goodbye for now.

She stands looking out at what has become a beautiful piece of land and sighs deeply, she will be here everyday to enjoy it. And off course when the next season comes she will deal with it as it needs to be, but for now there is completion, peace and joy!!

2. The Hard Disk Crash :

Situation : He is staring at the blank screen of his laptop, wondering what happened. He can barely breathe and his insides feel like lead - he is thinking of the 20 days of creative work that seems to have just vanished and wondering what he is going to tell his client, "the biggest deal of his life client!" He grips the table and takes a deep breath to calm himself down. This can't be happening - he has got to get his work back - somehow. He dials the number for the computer technician and when the technician picks up explains as calmly as he can what's happened. He fixes an appointment for the evening, puts the phone down and waits…

Visit 1 : The computer technician is calmly dismantling the laptop and saying very little. He is hovering around him like a pesky fly and trying to hold back from saying anything. After an agonizing wait where the technician took everything apart and then put it back he is told that the laptop needs to be taken to the technician's place of work and once he has some news, he would call the laptop owner. He asks worriedly whether he will get data and emphasizes for the umpteenth time -  it's a life and death situation. The technician promises to do his best and leaves.

Visit 2 : He jumps as the phone rings and fumbles in his hurry to answer - it's the technician. There is good news and bad news. The files he mentioned have been recovered except for the work he had done in the last few days. There are several other folders that have also been recovered but he has lost his complete music collection. The laptop needs to be re-formatted and the technician wants to know whether to go ahead. He puts the phone down after giving the green signal and heaves a sigh of relief - it's not as bad as he thought and he remembers he had mailed part of his recent work to his colleague for comments. After days, he smiles.

Visit 3, 4 ... : This time he's at the technician's office, the laptop's been reformatted and they need to load the software he needs. He selects what he needs  from the basic and advanced list. Some of what he wants they don't have and will need to order, they promise to inform him as soon as it's all done. They give him a USB drive with his recovered files.

Final Visit : His laptop's back and everything he needs is there. The data's been re-instated, yet everything looks different and he's now itching to get started at customizing it to the way he likes to have it! The technician is explaining to him the concept of backing up his files and he's promising himself to do it every day! The technician finishes educating him on the preventive measures to what happened and then leaves.

 

He eagerly gets to his laptop and now begins the integration process of the old hardware but new software into his life. He remembers the tip on back up and though he doesn't always remember - he's quite regular. He recovered almost all his work and is confident of doing a great job and delivering on time! It was a tough few days, but he is in a far better place and grateful to the Universe!

 Any process of change takes time and will require persistent effort. It may begin with resistance and inertia but given time will adapt to the new circumstances and settle at a new level of comfort. We all want to be better and for that we need to change to come closer to our potential. Healing techniques can facilitate the process provided you are willing to be patient and take one step at a time.

Remember  - instant coffee may take very little time to prepare - but requires "boiling hot" water!