I’ve talked in these pages many times about the stream of life and the song, row, row, row the boat. I confess to finding this little song fascinating as an esoteric writing.
Just recently, I have been through a very deep and long lasting depression caused in some sense by the break up of a long-term relationship and then the need to come to terms with being single, a bit isolated in the Czech republic and realizing I had lost sight of myself and what I wanted. Well, a few weeks ago, I woke up one morning and just decided that any rebirth had to start with changing a few basic things like diet, my weight and attitude. I woke up realising I was creating my own miserable reality by being miserable and sitting doing nothing in abject depression. I started walking 10,000 steps every day, cycling 10km and doing basic workouts with my body and weights. I cut out all bad carbs and moved to a low card diet rich in good oils, vegetables, protein and as much water as I could consume. I have lost weight already as I need to pull my belt in one notch tighter and my legs and arms have a hint of muscle about them too. I have not managed to quit drinking, but I did quite drinking beer. I have not yet managed to quit my on and off again smoking habit, but I will. I see myself in a few months as slim, some muscle definition and full of energy.
I also changed my attitude as much as I could. I started to try to focus on being grateful for what I do have rather than focusing on what I don’t. I started looking for the benefits of being single and I found quite a lot. I do miss not having that special someone, but I decided to quit looking. My desperation could be smelt a mile away and it was sending bad signals to the universal creation engine.
A couple of days ago, I had one of those revelations too. I am grateful for having had a rich and varied life full of magic. Coincidences and lucky breaks. Opportunities that arose from nowhere. For a working class kid from Hull, I have done rather well. Been a millionaire and lost it all and regained a fortune anyway – albeit of a different kind! The realisation was quite simple. My life has been magical.
I contemplated that in mediation and realized that the magic comes from hooking in to a stream of life in which you just go with the flow. Once in that magic stream, anything can happen. If however, you fall out of it, things get rough and rougher. As you fight against this natural magical stream of life, consciously or unconsciously, you fight against the natural pull of your destiny. Re-attaching to the stream is difficult, yet simple also – you just let go, visualise what you hope for, desire and need, express gratitude for what you have….. and let go.
Row, row, row the boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream