Letting go.

Ever read Richard Bach?  One of my favorite authors.  He is one of those people that 'got it' way before most even knew what 'getting it' was. ;)  Was just surfing the net and came across this gem.  Wanted to share:

------------------------------------
Once there lived a village of creatures along the bottom of a great crystal river.

The current of the river swept silently over them all - young and old, rich and poor, good and evil, the current going its own way, knowing only its own crystal self.

Each creature in its own manner clung tightly to the twigs and rocks at the river bottom, for clinging was their way of life, and resisting the current what each had learned from birth.

But one creature said at last, 'I am tired of clinging. Though I cannot see it with my eyes, I trust that the current knows where it is going. I shall let go, and let it take me where it will. Clinging, I shall die of boredom.'

The other creatures laughed and said, 'Fool! Let go, and that current you worship will throw you tumbled and smashed across the rocks, and you shall die quicker than boredom!'

But the one heeded them not, and taking a breath did let go, and at once was tumbled and smashed by the current across the rocks.

Yet in time, as the creature refused to cling again, the current lifted him free from the bottom, and he was bruised and hurt no more.

And the creatures downstream, to whom he was a stranger, cried, 'See a miracle! A creature like ourselves, yet he flies! See the Messiah, come to save us all!'

And the one carried in the current said, 'I am no more Messiah than you. The river delights to lift us free, if only we dare let go. Our true work is this voyage, this adventure.'

But they cried the more, 'Saviour!' all the while clinging to the rocks, and when they looked again he was gone, and they were left alone making legends of a Saviour.
----------------------------------------

How profound is this?  Especially after reading and listening to Abraham for so long- I can appreciate this little story even more.  Abraham teaches there is only a stream of well-being that flows.  No source of darkness or evil, only a source of light- and what determines whether or not our lives are blissfull or less than desirable is whether we are resisting or allowing that stream to flow.

I was listening to the CD that came in the back of Ester, Jerry, and Abraham's latest, "The Astonishing Power of Emotions"- and they described how even before we came into our physical bodies, that stream was already flowing.  That stream of well-being is so dominant, that anything we do in this one lifetime that could be considered detrimental really is not that bad at all-- all it is is a temporary resistance of the stream- and the moment we let go- we see improvement in our lives (and we feel a lot of relief- that goes hand in hand).

Abraham also uses 'upstream and downstream' analogies- saying our emotional response is given to us in response to our thoughts on any given subject.  They say our first priority should be finding relief and feeling good- as that is an indicator we are going with this stream of well-being, while any form of negative emotion is our indication that we are resisting the stream.  They also note that everything we want is downstream- while nothing we want is ever upstream.

Beautiful stuff. :)