How many times have you heard a statement or read something or saw something of the simplest nature that has had the profoundest effect on you? That one simple thing that took up a mere second of your life comes back to you over and over as one of the best spiritual teachings you’ll ever receive.
When I was a teenager I saw written on an overpass, “Jesus is coming soon, and man is he pissed.” I think sad might be a more appropriate term than pissed, since I personally think Jesus is on a much higher plane than “pissdom.” Still, I think the graffiti artist or poet definitely got the point across by using that term. It’s more that we should be pissed at the messes we have gotten ourselves into by not respecting ourselves, others or nature.
One of the other most profound teachings I heard was something that was repeated to me by one of my best friends. Our teacher, a Himalayan monk, called her by name, and told her to be happy. I am still analyzing the significance of this statement. How could he tell her to just be happy when so much in her world was crumbling around her from her own personal tragedies and those happening in the lives of most of her loved ones? Was it really that simple – just be happy?
She did take his advice. Things in her life that seem insurmountable began to dissolve. There are still struggles but she has an inner faith and beauty that radiates outward with which she takes on life’s challenges. She plucks each weed one at a time.
All of us have the Garden of Eden within. Most of us have let the weeds take over. We have not only let the weeds take over. We water them as well.
The neglect of our gardens has gone on for so long that the task of refurbishing it becomes daunting. The weeds have intertwined with our good plants trying to suffocate them
We don’t realize who we are or the potential we possess. We are not self-realized. We label ourselves as fat, skinny, poor, sick, aching, sad, depressed, unlovable, or ugly. We identify with a disease or the divorce we went through or some other tragedy or drama that has played out in our life, never letting go long enough to see the lesson in it. Our petals would open with our own true brilliant color if we would just quit watering the weeds.
As Buddha said, “Happiness is the way.”
J. Schlenker 
What a lovely blog! I visited yours after you’d been to mine. I look forward to reading more later. I particularly loved your post about dogs (I have 2 that I adore) and the law of attraction (which I’m attempting to practice).
Life is a gift. A God given gift, we are meant to enjoy. His word tells us not to fear, not to worry, simply trust. If we can do that, we will know true happiness, and have peace. We must choose happiness. However, we do let the weeds grow, don’t we. I want to grow in wisdom, and understanding, so I can hoe the whole garden clean. With his guidance, and with faith, I will learn.