The Moon Over Kyoto

I spoke to my friend Julie last night and she mentioned a growing sense of complacency with a number of SGI members. Julie is also a Buddhist. We discussed this for a little while and I told her that I was perplexed because I had started this year with so much strength and resolve. I too, have felt this complacency within myself. This "stuckness" and stagnation in virtually every corner of my life.

"Well," she said, "This is the sticky bit in the middle and once we get through this it will get easier. Now is the time to make a bigger effort and get out there. Just make a determination to do it."

Time to make a bigger effort.

It's so easy to stay in the sticky bit spinning my wheels. It's not going to get me out of the mud, is it? It's just going to frustrate me more. And as I said yesterday, if I want a different result, I've got to do something differently. That means getting out of the car and finding another way out of the mud.

Nichiren Daishonen says: "… the journey from Kamakura to Kyoto takes twelve days. If you travel for eleven but stop with only one day remaining, how can you admire the moon over the capital?"

For me, being complacent meant I went from seeing myself as a winner to seeing myself as a loser.

As a winner I was resourceful and creative and active. As a loser, I lost my way and forgot the reasons behind some of the goals I set myself. I forgot who I was, the strengths I have and the faith that has carried me so far.

When I live my life through fear, my world becomes smaller and I give my power away. When I live my life from a place of love, respect and faith, there is nothing I cannot do and I am powerful.

When I am powerful, I love unconditionally. I know myself. I respect myself and others. I follow through on the actions I have said I would take. I honour myself. I honour my life, my purpose, my gifts. I honour my family, my partner, my friends, my employer.

When I give my power away, I invite people to take advantage of me. I allow myself to be used, ridiculed, hurt.

Today I determine to connect with my power, to cast off the transient to reveal the true and to become my true potential.