Dear Friends,

I walked Noodle (my dog)very early this morning. The mountains looked beautiful. The air was crisp and cold. Noodle walked so quickly I believed (she believed) she had somewhere to go. What excitement to be a dog! Each moment more anticipatory and wonderful than the next! Food, Yay! Sleep, Yay! Poop, Yay! Walk, Yay!!!

What a way to live! Loving what is, no matter what the is, is.

And I noticed that this has pretty much become my modus operandi in the last 15 years, since practicing the Work of Byron Katie. I don’t argue with reality any longer.

It takes a generous and brave heart to inquire into the mind. But what is the alternative? For me, it was fear and suffering. Fear of the future, and shame and guilt about the past. I can truthfully say these boogeymen are gone.

Now, I identify and write down my stressful thoughts. And I watch how my ego tries to talk me out of having the thoughts I just had! So spiritual, don’t you know?

But if any thought – any at all – “why did she look at me like that?” – “she just insulted my credentials,” pops briefly into my head, they go on paper and I ask myself if they are true.

I sit quietly and allow the answers to arise. Sometimes the asking of the question “is it true?” takes a long time. I don’t answer quickly, with my mind. The answer comes, as I watch the movie of all the pain, all the slights, all the times ANYONE looked at me and I made up a story about that.

And then I ask 3 more questions and do 3 turnarounds to the original statement.

This may take an hour. This may take two days. Or, in some cases, it may take weeks.

But I can tell you, this one thought, the one I THINK I may not have really had, leads me to a freedom I never dreamed possible.

And this has led me to be like Noodle, always sniffing, always believing THIS moment is the best there is.

Watch your stories.

I can guarantee that every thought you are believing isn’t true. And if you are saying “I know that,” you may find you are in a prison. And if you say, “well, that is true, I know that, so there,” you may still be in that prison.

Question your thoughts. Write them down and inquire. Turn them around.

Meditate.

God is good, God is everything. It really is that simple.

And become happy, drooling fools like me and Noodle.

Love, Gopita