If there is one implicit truth, existence functions by itself. No wonder school could never teach you about everything in life. In fact, probably did not teach you much for the long term.

Some key moments in life are actually decided by dropping all analysis and trusting the flow. Life is instinctual by nature. Even the process of learning math, happened as an instinct. Either a motivation of getting good grades or a future career, or a fascination for math that developed after a bit of exposure. It feels good to sound coherent, to have a meaningful cause and effect discussion, but that is all there is to it. When it comes to life, there is a huge hidden process that does its thing.

Our engine is not analytical. It is intuitive. It might use logical analysis when it is absolutely necessary. It knows, learns by itself. But fundamentally it is as instinctual as gravity itself. Even the words of wisdom from the Buddha himself, were churned out by an instinctual process. The words themselves are words. When the instinctual process is receptive to it, words go beyond words, and there is an energetic reception. But words themselves are not more than vehicles at the right time, right moment. Beyond that, you are staring at a vehicle.

Human beings are long-term creatures. We need a long-term vision to sustain us. This is different from the inner chatter or the instant gratification monkey, that we have. We might call it a vision from the heart. Or a vision that is untainted by short term setbacks or detours.

Our deepest visions are not lofty, are not complex at all. They are usually very simple. Something we connect with deeply — say empowering other people, creating a sustainable community, creating art, and on. Regular vipassana meditation, writing and yoga (sun salutations) are beautiful insightful ways of seeing and realizing our long term visions. In the course of our life, we accumulate fears, emotional blockers, judgments, that make it not easy to see or stick to a long term vision. Our instant gratification monkey thrives on this. We all know what life is like in that state. Distracted, unfulfilled.

Through meditation or yoga or writing, we can see the layers of fears, anger, emotional turmoil that are within us. As Adyashanti says, our sense of self has an existence in the mind, in the heart and in the gut. In the mind, it is concepts. In the heart, it is feelings, or stuck feelings. In the gut, it is a contraction. A no. Through a process of seeing these layers, and allowing them to come to full awareness, we are able to slowly unlock what is stopping from living a fulfilled, and heartful life. In a way, these fears, these stuck emotions and these contractions can be our friends, if we allow them to come to our full awareness with unbiased authenticity. Hence, it is not really about getting rid of them, it is more seeing them in awareness (with full light). They transform.

There is a confidence, and clarity and flow that comes. We become less and less stuck in the instant gratification mode. And we have the clarity and flow to live a life  through the long-term vision. It isn’t really about that future or a result. It is about the clarity and flow in the moment that comes from the untainted heart in this vision.