Spirituality for Busy People - Right Effort
By Mark Thurston
"Know in yourself that you are doing the right, and let the move be on the part of others . . . the mental satisfaction of knowing that ye are trying makes a peace that may not be had otherwise." Edgar Cayce Reading 1183-3
Cayce gave the above advice to a woman who asked for a reading about her health and her home situation. She had an alcoholic husband and an irritable boarder. She wanted to know how to control her hypertension so she wouldn’t be vulnerable to a stroke and she also wanted to know what she could do to change her chaotic, tense home life.
Cayce promised that the peace she sought was attainable but it would require that she follow a careful strategy for dealing with each of these issues. First, the disruptive renter had to go; she wasn’t likely to change her ways. The news could be broken lovingly to the woman but with a firm resolve.
The problem with her husband wouldn’t be so easily handled. According to Cayce, the alcoholism was in a very advanced and serious stage. Although there was still a chance that he would get hold of his life and change, there were no guarantees. Cayce purposed a formula for her.
His recommendation goes right to the heart of human psychology. It contains advice that any of us could apply if we found ourselves in a seemingly hopeless tangle with someone. Resist the temptation to think that it’s all up to you. Make peace with yourself by doing everything you can to help the situation – but then let go of any expectations about how conditions will turn out. If you know that you’ve done your very best, then it won’t be hard to find an inner peace, even if situations around you are still in turmoil.
Continuing this line of reasoning, Cayce told the woman to watch her words and deeds carefully. Never do anything for which you might feel regret later. No matter what others say or do about this unfortunate situation, follow what you know is the best for you. If you’re successful at this, the peace that has been promised to you is assured.
It takes great courage to follow that pathway through an emotional upheaval. Our natural human tendency is to blame – sometimes to blame the other person for the unfairness of it all; sometimes to blame ourselves for not being strong enough or wise enough to make it all turn out right. But the most reliable way to a genuine peace is to make sure each day that we’ve done our best and then leave the results in God’s hands.
Mini-motivator: Pick one situation in your life where you’ve been trying to change situations and make them better. Try a new strategy – one that promises to help you maintain an inner peace. Make a commitment to do your very best in the situation, but let go of the tension that comes from thinking it’s all up to you. |
