#409 It Is What It Is

The Power of Loving What Is

Byron Katie wrote a great book called Loving What Is.

We talked about her before in the context of making sure you stay in YOUR business rather than God’s business or someone else’s business. (How’s that going for you?)

Fun fact: I have a particular affinity to Katie (as she’s known to her students) because I drive by her little chapel in Ojai EVERY SINGLE MORNING on my way to my sunrise hike. Nice little neurohack to remind myself to love what is.

So, back to Loving What Is. One of my favorite lines in there is that, when you argue with reality, you lose — but only 100% of the time.

Here’s how she puts it: “I realized that it’s insane to oppose it. When I argue with reality, I lose — but only 100% of the time.”

Hah.

She also says: “How do I know that the wind should blow? It’s blowing!”

Then there’s this gem: “If you want reality to be different than what it is, you might as well try to teach a cat to bark.” 😺

(When I first shared that line years ago, someone showed me this video which, of course, merits another hah!)

So, back to the point of this +1.

We’ll let Katie sum it up: “The only time we suffer is when we believe a thought that argues with what is. When the mind is perfectly clear, what is is what we want.”

That’s worth repeating: “The only time we suffer is when we believe a thought that argues with what is. When the mind is perfectly clear, what is is what we want.”

Whatever has happened has happened. Arguing with that reality makes no sense.

It is what it is.

So…

If you want to get all enlightened about it, you might as well follow her advice (and all the Stoics and basically every other wise person ever) and learn to LOVE what is.

Today’s +1. Are you arguing with reality?

If so, notice. Stop. Accept. And, if you’re feeling particularly enlightenedly feisty, LOVE it antifragile style.

Note: Want to sharpen your loving what is skills? Go back to the +1 on Whose Business Are You In? You’ll probably notice that you tend to get most up in your stuff when you’re in someone else’s business.

You’ll want to stop doing that.

But only if you want to enjoy your life.

(One more hah! 🤓)

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