A common portrayal of life is that of a constant ascent toward happiness and achievement. In actuality, though, it’s more akin to a rollercoaster, with sudden drops and turns. When the pillars of life fall apart, it might seem as though everything worthwhile has vanished. However, there is a significant chance for development and transformation buried in these turbulent times. This piece inspires you to contemplate the possibility of discovering gold amidst the chaos. Together, we can uncover this secret treasure and come out of this trip stronger, smarter, and more resilient than before.
Prioritize Inner Peace
I sent more than 200 emails a year, but I was unable to get employment. If I hadn’t been so annoyed, the sheer loudness would have made it hilarious.
I eventually decided to give up trying so hard after listening to Eckhart Tolle’s presentations for countless hours. Since contemplating anything but the present moment caused anxiety, I started to practice a ferocious kind of presence in which I stayed just on the brink of this instant.
I spent a lot of time praying and meditating, which made it easier for me to notice even the tiniest gestures of grace, like the first cherry blossoms on a tree, a starling catching my eye, or a free baguette from the neighborhood baker. All those moments, and many more, filled me with an unexplainable thrill.
At those times, I felt a strong connection to the web of life. I had thought I needed a certain amount of money to be at ease, yet even without it, I was able to find inner peace.
In our relative reality, the times that evoked great terror expanded to the absolute. Life taught me to live in each moment and accept it totally. and the subsequent one.
Life is not a trade-off. It’s capitalism. Everything we release finds its way back, but sometimes not in the same manner.
How to Find the Gold When Everything Falls Away
Cultivate joy with a giving practice
When I was struggling financially, I discovered the 29-day Giving Challenge in 2020. This challenge is based on Cami Walker’s 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life. The book follows Mbali Creazzo’s medicine woman’s advice. The idea involves giving something away daily for 29 days and tracking donations.
Giving what you want is useful, but gifts don’t have to be material. I had money because I was hungry and late with rent and expenses.
I gave a passing woman a $10 grocery store gift card. For less than $5, I sometimes dropped a dollar coin on a kid-friendly wall.
Finances made me feel inferior. I was thrilled to make someone feel appreciated again, even briefly. I was happy all day, thinking a kid would find the dollar.
My favorite activity was giving. I didn’t engage in boasting or virtue signaling, but rather underwent a complete transformation of my life or worldview.
Each person has wants and needs. Interdependence is defined.
I was patient, kind, and gave directions. If I could afford it, I would leave a chocolate bar on a bench with a letter stating, “Please accept this random act of chocolate.” One of my favorite activities.
Sometimes I posted Post-it notes with words I needed to hear. Write “You are loved” and “You change the world.” I felt included and got a dopamine rush while writing these. Despite sending 200 emails a year, I was unemployed. The noise would have been humorous if I wasn’t irritated.
Eckhart Tolle’s hours of lectures exhausted me. Since I couldn’t concentrate on anything other than the fear, I practiced fierce presence, being close to it.
After practicing prayer and meditation, I noticed even the simplest gestures of grace, such as the first cherry blossoms on a tree, a starling, or a complimentary baguette from the neighborhood baker. In all those moments and more, I felt indescribable joy.
Then I felt completely connected to life. Though I thought money was necessary for happiness, I found calm without it.
Our relative reality has made terrible times absolute. Life taught me to enjoy every minute. and then.
Life’s not cheap. It’s capitalism. Some things we release return differently.
Try community giving
I traded one daily meal for the privilege of dining at an independent coffee shop for a number of years.
We introduced the concept of “suspended coffee,” drawing inspiration from the Italian caffé sospeso trend. A consumer might pay for someone else’s coffee in advance if they had the money. Someone who wanted coffee but couldn’t afford it could request a “suspended coffee”.
I was thrilled to be able to collaborate with others to develop a giving practice that benefited the entire community.
The same coffee shop usually threw out baked items after two days. I began delivering bags of leftover scones, banana bread, and muffins to a nearby soup kitchen, bringing joy to customers who typically received stale bread and soup.
On holiday weekends, we fed clients in transitional housing with any leftover pre-made salads and day-old baked goodies rather than squandering away food.
I was living on less than $10 a day while trying to pay off a five-figure debt. My worries about money almost completely vanished as a result of these charitable activities (well, mostly). After that, life intervened to provide me with support.
Be open to receiving
Receptivity to receiving—how? complete acceptance of reality. Many people are reluctant to receive financial aid because they think money makes one “less than” and that wealth equals value. Society holds this misconception. Both are false human beliefs.
You must give without expecting anything in return. They counteract giving’s positive energy. When you offer freely, things will work out.
My neighbors gave me money out of the blue to pay my rent, and an acquaintance gave me credit card money back so I could keep paying down the five-figure debt. I realized that life is a continuous cycle. I ceased to harbor regrets about my situation.
Giving helps me appreciate my family, house, and food. I can let go of negative self-talk and stories.
I rejoiced when donating restored “the peace that passes all understanding”—a sense of togetherness and emptiness. The situation changed because I felt more comfortable and less hostile towards it.
Though we claim goods and money as “ours,” we are stewards. Indigenous cultures have known for millennia that sharing resources is best. We settler-descendants still need to understand this.
Money Can Make Us Forget
I was shocked by how quickly I tried to hang onto what I had once money started coming in (after all, it wasn’t much). I clung on again and bought into the stability myth. Awareness, or the experience of nothingness, unity, or the “kingdom of heaven,” declined.
My ego, which is incompatible with emptiness and quiet, was so humbled—even shattered—during the difficult times that it clung to anything that could help it rediscover itself.
I’m not the only one. In a game-based experiment, University of California, Irvine sociologist Paul Piff, Ph.D., found that “rich” participants hoarded their imaginary income more than “poor” ones, who were more generous. This matches studies demonstrating that wealthy people donate less.
Continued giving can bring back the joy of meeting someone else’s need, whether it’s a friend, a stranger, or a child finding a dollar coin on a wall.
It’s a Process and a Practice
The gold in this post’s title symbolizes consciousness. We cannot describe the experience that all spiritual teachings lead to.
We must awaken when circumstances begin to unravel. The door stays closed while we battle what it is. Charity, second to inner calm, can produce miracles.
The coffee shop offered me a proposal to pay off the five-figure debt in six months after three years of arguments. Though not uncommon, this was rare.
For myself and perhaps many others, contributing from what we have allows for minor payments or enough groceries for a few days. Cash isn’t always returned. Exchanging food with the coffee shop seemed like a gift. Be open to different reception methods.
Failure is difficult, but it creates an opportunity. If we prioritize our inner peace, let go of our egos, and adapt to the situation, we can experience peace and pleasure beyond our imagination.
