Drop the story.

I was dreaming last night. I was with my daughter when she was younger and we were at a playground on the swings. I put my keys on the ground along with my wallet. And then we left. We had walked quite a way and I remembered that I had forgotten to pick up my keys and wallet. Oh, the panic! And the scenes in my head of disaster. Someone now had my money, address and my keys! We were running back and for some reason we got lost and people were trying to talk to us and we never seemed to get there. As I was dreaming I had the sense that I was dreaming and that it wasn't real at all. But I could feel this enormous stubbornness wanting to hang on to the dream. I tried to say to myself, that hey, it's only a dream but I couldn't drop it. Actually, I wouldn't drop it. I was unwilling to let go of my dream. It's mine, it's about me! This is how we are in waking life too. We hang on to a story like a pit bull with the story clasped in it's teeth. Even when someone tells us that we don't need to hang on anymore we still do! We even defend the story! This is where a path of growth and healing (a.k.a. the spiritual path) is the path of heroes. We need to notice the first whiffs of the story of  "me". The moment we sense it is just a story to drop it. Our poor egos hate this! It is a very courageous thing to do. It does it easier with practice. Life is lived less seriously and with more joy. :)