What If You Were 'The One'?

“You’re in business to spread love.  Your screenplay should spread love.  Your hair salon should spread love.  Your agency should spread love.  Your life should spread love.  The key to a successful career is realizing that it’s not separate from the rest of your life, but is rather an extension of your most basic self.  And your most basic self is love.                                  -Marianne Williamson

I'd like to start today's tip with a story from Michael Neill's book, Feel Happy Now. This is an old spiritual teaching story, but I particularly like his version.

"Many years ago (or so the story goes), in a time of great war and consternation, there was a monastery which had fallen upon hard times. There were few monks left and they tended to squabble amongst themselves. Everyone was convinced their path was the right path and the peaceful ways of the past seemed little more than a dream. 

In a last-ditch attempt to save the monastery, the abbot went to seek the wisdom of an old rabbi who was reputed to have great wisdom and insight into the ways of men. 

When the abbot told the rabbi of the situation, the rabbi shook his head with great concern. ‘It is imperative that you find a way to resolve this situation before it is too late,’ said the rabbi. ‘For what you do not realize is that among you is the One who will deliver us all from fear into love.’ 

The abbot asked who among them was the One, but the rabbi would tell him no more. On the way back to the monastery, he wondered who the One could be. ‘I bet it’s Brother Arthur,’ he thought to himself. ‘He is kind and good. Or perhaps it is Brother Thomas – he is young but already shows great wisdom. Or could it be … no … I mustn’t even consider that it might be me!’ 

On his return, the abbot shared the news with the monks. While they were startled, there was the ring of truth to what the abbot had said. The One was amongst them! 

As they contemplated which of them it might be, the monks began to treat one another with a very special reverence and respect. After all, someone among them might really be the One. And, on the off-chance that each monk himself might be the One, they began to treat themselves with extraordinary respect and reverence as well. 

As time went by, the monks developed a gentle, loving quality about them which was hard to quantify but easy to notice. They lived respectfully, in harmony with themselves and nature. An aura of respect and reverence seemed to radiate out from them and permeate the atmosphere. There was something strangely attractive, even compelling about it. 

Before long, people were coming from far and wide to be nourished by the life of the monks, and young men were asking to become a part of their community. Within a few short years, the monastery had once again become home to a thriving order – a vibrant centre of light and spirituality in the world."

I think this story provides beautiful insight into what  a simple shift in perception can do to our energy as well s behavior.  As Wayne Dyer says, "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."  and I would take it one step further: when you change the way you see your fellow human beings, they will transform before your very eyes.

Imagine for a moment that your romantic partner was, the One, in disguise.  How would your experience of them change?  What would you do and say differently?

What if your children, friends, co-workers, clients, and patients were, the One?  What would transform?

What if the stranger you bumped into on the bus, or the homeless person begging on the street was, the One?  How would you treat them?  How would you look at them?

Finally, I want you to imagine that You are the One, sent to move the world from fear to love.  How would you live?  How would you treat yourself?  How would you treat others?  What would you spend your time doing?  What would you make your life about?


Weekly Coaching Experiment:

• This week I want to invite you to treat everyone you come into contact with, including yourself, as if they were 'the One' in disguise(feel free to substitute whatever spiritual language you would like here, Jesus, Buddha, God, Avatar, etc)
• Notice how they shift, change, and transform as a result
• Finally, notice how you shift, change, and transform as a result.  If you like it, keep it up!

Until next week,

Love and Light,

Tyler