Life…RU OK?
Listen on Soundcloud — https://soundcloud.com/phusionliving/liferu-ok
On Thursday 9th of September, in my homeland of Australia, it was national RU OK? day.
It is a suicide prevention initiative where we are encouraged to connect with, and check in on, those we love and care for in our communities.
It is a day we really do embrace.
On that day I took time out to ask my employer, and the being I love and hold more dearly than anything in the world, that very question.
That’s right, I asked life itself, ‘RU OK?’
The reply will not surprise you.
But I thought I would share anyway. Here’s what life had to say…
‘Okay? Okay?
Am I okay? What do you bloody well think?
I have been brought to my knees by a pandemic, having experienced a complete collapse because of the relentless abuse of the high-income world.
You just won’t stop with it. What do you think that does to me?
On top of that, the earth that is meant to — and yearns to — care for everyone is battered and broken and does not know whether it is coming or going.
And the people who consider themselves top shelf abuse it more than anyone. Don’t think I am not aware of that!
And what about the children?
Far too many of my children are either hungry or mentally ill, and in your country the fastest growing demographic in education is psychologists, counsellors and therapy dogs.
You tell me, would you be okay with schools — places that should be light and carefree — becoming more like hospitals. Children, for my sake! Many who might not ever know life without anxiety and depression. Are you okay with that?
I’m not!
There’s also a God-damned personal development industry worth billions which has psychologically messed up humanity and made people obsess over what’s in it for them.
As for the boasting and self-promotion that plagues our world. Don’t get me started!
I am on my knees and these folk are talking about the opportunities it presents. You must be kidding me! Seriously!
‘Don’t worry’, they said. ‘The universe will provide!’ And ‘If you can dream it, you can have it!’
Why would even your wildest individual dreams be more important to me than my health, the health of the earth and my hungriest having their basic needs met?
The Universe will provide, my backside. It’s bs lines like that, and people actually embracing it, that broke me!
No universe or system can cater to or survive greed! Our system was only ever going to provide for love.
But does my suffering end there?
Not on your life!
Remember the instruction, ‘do not steal’? Otherwise known as asteya in yogic lingo or as a hudud crime in Islam?
Do you know how many people will rip off the intellectual property and the thoughts and ideas of others to make themselves appear smart and inspiring? That kind of behaviour is on steroids.
How is that inspiring? It’s like ripping off a bike and doing wheelies down the street shouting, ‘how good is my new bike?’
Um, I am sorry. To me you are just a thief. You dishonoured me, yourself, and the person you stole from. Neither theft — nor sharing — are restricted to the physical world.
A thief is a thief. And a generous soul is a generous soul.
And when I say a thief is a thief, I mean it. If even the most famous, adored and inspirational person stumbles across the wisdom of someone more obscure and assumes authority for it, I see them. I know what went down. And I know what they are! And we will be squaring that situation up, I promise.
I could go on and on, but I will leave you with one more.
The hate and judgement the self-righteous heap on those poor folk whose humanity has failed them. That’s my pet hate right now. When someone cracks or breaks — they need love. Anything else makes me sick.
A human being fails, one of my own, and I must stomach the hate, judgement, and ridicule of those who seem to think they are me!
So, am I okay?
I’m glad you asked.
No.
No, I am not okay!
As if there hasn’t been enough signs over the past few years — and beyond — that made this abundantly clear. I have been broken for a long time. And you only noticed me when I collapsed. And even now the violations of life — of me — continue.
Of course, I am speaking generally here. And it was quite the rant.
But what would you do if your child were being abused? Would you sit calmly and remind them of the opportunity it presented?’
Or tell them, ‘It’s okay honey, it’s just a little reset!’
Please tell me you would stand up and fight for their sacred dignity.
Well, I am no different!
So, battered and broken by the relentless abuse I have experienced, please forgive me this meltdown.
But I am not okay. And you know that.
I will, however, try to end with a positive.
A small, but love-fueled shout out to my heroes.
I speak of the anonymous servants who love me unconditionally. Those who put conditions on their expression and demands so who they are, is supportive of my needs.
I know you, more than anything else, want what is best for me.
I do not feel your gentle tread because you mean me no harm. You are kind to me. And that will never be forgotten.
The irony you will now be known as life’s greatest and most loving servants should not be lost on you.
You are my unsung heroes, but that too, will be squared up in time. And I will sing of your love and care from the mountain tops!
These things I also promise!
Well, that is that!
Thank you for asking.
It was therapeutic to get that of my chest.
So, no, I am not okay.
But I want to be.
Desperately.
And only each of you can help me. You will either be of benefit to my health. Or detrimental to it. That is my personal truth, and the truth that sits above all others.
I am tired and need to rest.
I’m not what I used to be.’
Postscript
Unless we look at life from life’s perspective, we will never be able to understand how traumatising the way of the high-income world has been for it.
We have violated life, without a doubt.
And we have done this without consent.
For the past seven years I have tried to live by and share the philosophy of conditional expression. It has been rejected, even by the many Catholics and Christians I know.
This philosophy encourages each of us to live in a manner that tends to life’s needs, rather than using our one time here to do whatever we want, when we want.
I have also stated factually that it is life — or God — who has communicated the instruction that we put conditions on our expression and demands so who we are honours life and keeps it sacred.
To be honest, I cannot think why life would want us or permit us to do anything harmful and abusive to it. For any reason.
If people were to read anything from my website, they should consider it testimony by life as to the nature and extent of the abuse it has been experiencing.
In the full philosophy, published in 2018, I wrote the following:
‘We are angry, boastful and self-righteous.’
The planet is angry, frustrated and behaves as if it has no idea whether it is coming
or going.
It’s in an anger stage right now.
It’s tried resistance.
Soon it will make us sick.
And then it will shut down.
And we will have asked for it.’
To witness the events of the past two years has been heartbreaking and confusing for me.
What is more sacred than our humanity — and all that comes with it.
Our earth.
And our children.
All three in tatters.
Life has needs like any of us.
And, if they are not met, it will suffer. It must. And whether it suffered or flourished was always up to us.
And look at the state of it.
We really do define the health of life, by being what we are.
Life — or God — is the love of my life. And my heart is a little bit broken.
But that does not alter my sense of hope, nor is it a tremendous weight to carry.
I cannot hate human nature, even at its worst. So, it is a peaceful stance I make, with no need for anyone to be different to what they are.
But I do not believe there exists a more noble, and loving way to live than to prioritise the needs of life before any individual wants or desires, we could conjure up.
I think about others who lived and taught such a life. People like Jesus and Mohammad.
I think of the story of Adam and Eve.
Of Yoga.
Of the Ten Commandments.
All teaching and promoting the same thing.
That we honour life and its needs before all else.
Each, bringing the warning that if we do not, we will seriously mess it up.
And even though that responsibility sounds big, it shouldn’t feel big. Because we are human. We can only do our best.
That fact is meant to be liberating.
Not a source of weight, inadequacy and dissatisfaction.
We each have the freedom to choose how we live. And I am in no way saying there is a right or wrong way to live.
But I am saying life must experience whatever it is each of us becomes.
What ever each of us demands.
And all of our expressions.
And they will be either supportive of, or contradictory to, its health.
And, if it is as sick as it is now, what it is we are inflicting upon it cannot be good. At least in its eyes, and from its perspective.
Or through the eyes of God.
This is not an attack on anyone.
But a defence of life.
The sacred life we each belong to.
The life I love, more than anything in the world. The life I have been called to serve — and remain committed to serving.
Speaking of suicide, which brings our conversation full circle, I’ve one more question.
If you were life and had the choice of returning to a way of life or situation which saw you abused and violated — or ending it all, which would you choose?
Tragically, it is that exact dilemma, that life is weighing up now.
Unless we embrace the alternative.
Which is to globally action the way of conditional expression. To use our freedom to care, rather than to abuse.
With Love
Tim
For the Full Philosophy click here
For Part 7, quoted above, click here
And for the full testimony of God and Life to their suffering, click here
