Printed in the Conscious Creation Journal
February 2001
Jack Rabbit Changes Color
by Jack Rabbit
The other day I was traveling back to my home in east Tennessee from a business trip in Newport News, Virginia. I was just finishing reading a copy of Anthony DeMello’s “Awareness”, when questions I have never ask myself before, began falling upon me like an avalanche. Not to mention insights into things I had never given a moments thought to before. Here I am, a 30 year old very “successful” business man spending my life in a produce and consume mode at full throttle! It never occurred to me that I had never slowed down enough to contemplate where I was really heading.
I began to reflect back on my life as a whole for the first time. It became immediately apparent to me something very significant was missing in my life. I had wealth in the material sense. I had two new cars, a boat, a motorcycle, a large lake house under construction, two dogs and a successful career. Basically I had more of everything than I would ever need and I was completely miserable. I found myself questioning the very principals of “happiness” which had been programmed into me from the start of my very existence. I was in shock for several days if not weeks. I honestly do not remember how long this lasted. The best analogy I can give you is
this. You have all heard the joke: What did the grape say, when it was stepped on by an elephant? It let out a little whine. Well, in this particular situation I was the grape and the elephant was the questions and insights filling my head. I was just a little overwhelmed by this deluge of new information. Looking back, I can say (and often do) it was the best and worst thing that has ever happened to me.
Once the initial jolt subsided a little, I began to contemplate what was missing in my life. I knew it was not anything material. I had the means to purchase anything within reason I desired. I found it very easy to identify the things which I knew would not make me happy. How many times in the past I had found myself saying, “If I only had this or if I only had that. My life would be so much better!” WOW, imagine that. Being so naïve as to think happiness could be purchased. Once I had the insight into knowing that “material things” do not ever make for lasting happiness. I began to
contemplate on the abstract things I could not touch physically. I began to read everything I could get my hands on pertaining to “The Meaning of Life”. As chance would have it, one of these pocket journals to living life as it should be, went into basic meditation (1) technique. This was all new to me anyway, so why not?
The meditation technique covered was basically very simple. Find a quiet place you are comfortable in, unplug the phone and any other electronic devices you have anywhere in the immediate area, get yourself into a comfortable position, close your eyes and relax. Once again, the initial flow of random thoughts was deafening at least in my minds eye. My first meditation sessions contained very scattered and superfluous thoughts. But, over time this calmed down a bit and my thoughts began to take focus. The first thought which was clear and undeniable to me was; Jack, you have been neglecting your Spirituality(2) for quite a long time. Don’t you think it is time you truly begin learning about life? After this first clear thought, I found
that there are many messages. Most of us just do not slow down enough or open our minds enough to hear them.
Isn’t it something, we can help a coworker move, run an errand for our parents, console a friend who is down or go out to eat just about anytime we need or want to. But, we never seem to be able to make just a little time for our SELF! I can not begin to tell you how many times in my past, I made the statement, “If you would just do this or if you would just do that, you would have it made”. It is so easy for us to criticize each other. It is much more difficult and demanding to look inside ourselves and clean up the mess we often find. Make the sacrifice! Allow a little “quiet” time for your SELF.
Who knows, you may just find something you didn’t know you had. True and lasting change always starts with your inner SELF and flows outward.
It is my desire to share my experiences with you not so you follow my path. But, that you find a morsel or two of benefit while you make your own way through life’s journey. It is not important that you see ideology from my point of view. What is important is that you hear messages clearly for yourself. You should act on these insights in the way YOU believe is necessary.
Jack Rabbit
Footnotes: 1. Meditation- There are at least one hundred different versions of how this can be done. I simply leave this up to each individual to find what works for you. 2. Spirituality- In this text, this word is interchangeable with God, The Great Mystery, Great Spirit, Higher Self and any other cultural connotations.