Quite the Contrary
By Todd Pequeen
I expand my possibilities by cultivating the opposite in myself. When I was young I did not have much choice. As an adult I do, so I use my free will to be the antagonist from within. I understand that no matter how correct I think my decisions are, or how black and white a situation seems, there are always shades of grey or layers of circumstance that I may be unaware of. This requires humility beyond the four decades of lessons I have learned. A set frame of mind can be my own worst enemy. Cultivating the opposite moves my life towards the pursuit of liberation. Freedom from all lesser pursuits (that often revolve around money, food, sex, and power) can be greatly empowering. The value of seeking change and enlightenment enriches my days beyond what I have previously dreamed.
I have a compulsion almost, to remain grounded during moments of stress. As a massage therapist, and a spiritual being, whenever adverse notions enter my day I consciously remove myself and identify the situation. Unfriendliness, fear, greed, power plays etc. once identified can be categorized and cultivated into the opposite. It is easy to smile and make myself feel secure by trying to share or help in any way I can. Fighting fire with fire no longer is beneficial for me. We have all been conditioned through repetition to behave in ways that normally meets the least resistance. Concentration on nervous negative habits, and our responses, will help put an end to them if we are willing to change. Not to mention, kind and just actions produce positive karma and luck.
The opposite of strong, motivated, and driven is surrender. Our minds, but more so our spirits, crave the freedom of the release of our egos. Massage from an experienced and dedicated practitioner can help to neutralize our stress thus equalizing our often taxed thresholds. The result being an increase in ability for spiritual gain rather than emotional pain, which literally produces physical knots and blockages. Like breathing itself, the dual purpose of life is expansion and contraction, receiving and releasing. It behooves us to partake of life without trying to “hold on to it”. The principle of reversals is the ying and yang of our lives that brings contentment, peace. Spiritual growth is infinite, and cultivating the opposite from within will produce transformation, as we open our arms and hearts to the world around us.
(Todd Pequeen has been massaging in Manuel Antonio since 1999. He is a graduate of the N.Y. Institute of Massage, Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork in the U.S.A, and can be reached at 8847-2010. He works independently and is available at his home studio or on location.)