As we’ve discussed, Alan Cohen is one of my favorite teachers.
I fell in love with him and his storytelling after watching him kick off Finding Joe years ago.
In his latest book, Spirit Means Business, he unpacks some of the “illusions” we all face as we navigate life (and business).
I absolutely love the way he describes the process of getting ourselves all squeaky clean via embracing (and reframing) the rigorous “wash cycles” life often puts us through. 😲
Here’s how Alan brilliantly invites us to think about it: “If you open a lid of a washing machine during the agitation cycle, you find gray, smelly water full of the dirt and residue from the clothing you are washing. If you didn’t understand how the washer machine works, you would think something had gone terribly wrong; the process is supposed to clean the clothes and make them look and smell nicer, and now they appear worse. But if you know that the agitation process is part of the greater picture and the clothes will be cleaner when the dirt is washed away in the next cycle, you can relax and know that everything is working out as it should. Likewise, when people or events show up that agitate you, reframe the situation such that the grimy stuff has been drawn to the surface solely for the purpose of purging what has been undermining you, and the entire process will ultimately improve your situation.”
Yep.
That’s about right, eh?
And…
That’s Today’s +1.
Let’s imagine opening our washing machine mid-wash.
YIKES! Everything is DIRTIER! (D’oh and hah!!!)
And, that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.
Let’s give it another cycle and voila! Clean clothes.
Practically speaking: Are YOU feeling a little grimy lately?
Can you reframe it a bit to see that you’re just midway through the process of getting your soul all spiffy and shiny?
Let’s get antifragile about whatever’s stressing us out and turn that apparent poison into medicine. And, perhaps we can remember Rumi’s wisdom (and polishing metaphor!) that, if we are irritated by every rub, we’ll never be polished.
Pardon me while I close the lid on our washing machines so it can continue to its next cycle. 🤓
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