"Lightening the Load"
January 6th

(Click on photo or here for story about Marines & Gunnysacks)

"We all are carrying Gunny Packs … everyone in the world, except for those few that have begun to See that they less they "know, believe, judge" the less weighed down they are and that sack of beliefs become emptier and emptier, until all that is left is the Truth of who they Are."

It appeared to write about "Lightening the Load."  While searching for a picture to go with what was coming up to write about ... the one above appeared and it sparked to write about how "beliefs" are like baggage that like the picture above ... we are carrying so many "beliefs" that we cannot function.  We carry so many ideas and beliefs about how or why things are ... that we cannot see what is in front of us ... we are bent over and weighed down by "thoughts" about life ... looking at the ground … not looking up and seeing the wide open sky of possibilities.  

My Teacher (a Retired Marine) once described the use of a gunnysack as an example of how we carry our "judgments, ideas, and beliefs" around with us like a giant gunnysack and how when we come into a situation we have this big bag on our back of prior experiences that write upon a present moment (which is actually free of all past experience, but that we cannot see because our bag opens up and dumps on the present moment).  

What does one do to begin to lessen the load? One begins to put the gunnysack down, open it up and look and see what is in it and what no longer serves. You wouldn't keep something that is spoiling or going rotten in your sack, you would take it out and throw it away. That is what can be done with beliefs that you are carrying that are no longer serving you. Take them out .... look at them ... do they help you to be in this world or keep you from experiencing this world fully?  Do you really need them at all to be who you are?  If you feel you still do ... put them back in the bag ... if they don't ... throw them away.

The above photo is a Marine and there is a story about how Marines are having tremendous back problems because they are having to carry so much on their gunnysacks. Maybe this is a beginning of lighten the load for them too.  If you are touched to get involved ... click the link above and maybe we can all lighten loads for one another.  

"May all Beings awaken to itSelf."