‘Nothing happens until you decide.’
There’s a Zen Koan where the teacher holds a stick in front of a student.
The teacher says to the student, “If you tell me this stick is real, “I will hit you with it. “If you tell me it is not real, I will hit you with it. If you say nothing, I will hit you with it.”
And so, the student takes a moment to consider these options and then surprisingly, reaches out, grabs the stick from the teacher and breaks it.’
There have been many times in my life where I have felt stuck, or where I have kept repeating stories of suffering and pain that I thought I had healed.
However, what I realised these repeated experiences were offering me was not to focus on my suffering, but rather, it was an invitation to deeply question my thoughts, perspective and beliefs about the experiences I was having.
And so, once I an acknowledged this block in me, I had to practice changing these behaviours and thoughts and move in a new direction each day.
To break and heal the patterns and the deep wounding that we have carried over many generations, we simply need to decide ‘we will’ and then break it over time.
It’s not complicated, but it is difficult. Do it anyway. 🙏🏻
LIVING IN THIS MOMENT 
Well said Karen. I could never get out of those ‘repeats’ in the beginning…until I understood and changed my path. The thinking and the action. And the core of it was to face it and understand it instead of running away.
Great post kind lady, and thank you for the ‘stick’. It does gradually change us and fine tune something wonderful 🤗❤️🙏
Thanks Mark. Facing it and feeling it is the answer, but it’s not always easy. 😅🙏🏻
Most certainly not kind lady. But I think that is why we appreciate us so much because of what we’ve faced to achieve it 🤗❤️🙏
Very true! Thank you Mark 🙏🏻
So simple, and yet challenging and necessary. “Do it anyway.” An important reminder. We will always have more to uncover. Great post, Karen. 🙏🏻💜
So true Carrie. There is so much to uncover and reveal in our human experience. I guess the good news is we can choose to begin anew each day and practice moving towards our freedom. Thank you for being here. 💞💞🙏🏻💞
Brilliant realisation, Karen. I’m just beginning to get this concept. I guess I just had to get to the point where I chose something different than the same old pain/bad habit/way of thinking. 💜
Yes we all have to get to this in our own time! Let’s keep breaking the stick that has broken us many times throughout life. Thank you Eliza. We’ve got this 👏👏👏
Sometimes it is so comfortable and easy to continue moving straight ahead, mind-in-the-clouds and ignoring the truth that it is important to challenge yourself and ‘do what needs to be done.’ I agree, facing it and doing it is never easy, and I think as we get older, it gets more difficult to some degree – even though, as you say, it isn’t that complicated, just difficult 🙃!
I agree Randall and it’s exactly like Eliza said, there comes a time in our life when we are sick of living the samsara of suffering and that leaves us with a choice. Do I want to continue in this cycle or begin to live from a space of freedom and abundance? I am so grateful we get to choose. Thank you for being here and for your comments. 🙏🏻💞
Perfect encouragement. I am grateful for this stick-breaking opportunity. The true liberation is as near as a decisive moment. Powerful, Karen! 💗💎
I agree Ka and I’ve had lots of practice at it haha! Thank you 💞
Love this advice, Karen. I too have been working on breaking my old habits of feeling anxious about past and future. It is so important to stop these patterns because we’re just not living our life complete.
It’s a daily practice for sure Michele, but always leads us to expand and create new ways of being. Thank you 💞🙏🏻
Thank you for this helpful post.
Thank you Ali! I appreciate your presence here 💕💕