Through the Flames by Allan Lokos

Author:Allan Lokos
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2015-01-25T05:00:00+00:00

EFFORT

By August 2013, I was walking fairly well but I felt that I was not as steady on my feet as I had been before the accident. So I freed up some precious time and began to study the ancient martial art form of Tai Chi Chuan. I enjoyed my lessons right from the beginning and my balance has markedly improved. There is a legendary claim that Tai Chi can prevent more than six hundred different ailments. The veracity of such a claim is not as important as the actual benefits each individual can experience through the practice. Tai Chi requires a completely focused mind, as does insight meditation. For me, daily practice of both is not only pleasurable but, more important, highly beneficial.

One day my teacher told me that he had mentioned to a friend that I was studying with him. The woman apparently became quite excited, saying that I was one of her heroes because of the way I had fought back and showed no signs of bitterness. I do not see myself as doing anything heroic, but apparently psychologists report that when recovery from trauma becomes overwhelming, people often give up and their lives descend into bitterness. In the accident and its immediate aftermath I fought for my life, which I believe is so instinctive that anyone else would have done the same. Since then I have been striving for as much healing as possible. This may not be as instinctive and has certainly not been an easy row to hoe. For me, the key is often to find joy in the effort.

I try to remember to bring grace, gratitude, and humor to my daily endeavors. I remind myself that my efforts are not so much about overcoming an event in the past, or trying to build a better future, but rather to concentrate on my work and to experience the joys and delights that are right here in the present. I do not try to deny that some days are difficult, but the bigger truth is that I was not expected to live through my injuries, and yet I did. It makes me more committed to doing all the good I can with the time I have left, be it a day, a week, or a decade or two.

Although it is sometimes said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, I have found that the more challenging the task, the greater the need for intentions—clear, ethical intentions. Buddhists say that our karmic imprint is determined by the intentions that motivate our actions. We often have little or no control over the results of our actions, but we do have control over our intentions. Whether or not we believe in karma is not important; knowing our intention is important. Once our intention is clear, it may have to be backed up by considerable effort. Certainly that will be the case when it comes to recovering from a traumatic event.

Just about everything we do requires effort.

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