Today we will explore an insight meditation on choice and freedom.
The freedom to tell a story about what happens in our lives and the freedom to let things simply be without a story at all.
So let's begin by settling into a comfortable position.
Just allow the eyes to close gently.
Feel the body supported by the ground beneath you.
Notice the breath,
Not trying to change it,
Just simply observing its natural rhythm.
As you breathe in,
Notice the coolness in the air entering.
As you breathe out,
Just feel the body soften,
Releasing what is ready to be released.
Now bring to mind a recent event or activity in your life.
It could be big or small.
It could be a conversation,
An opportunity,
A setback,
A celebration.
Or an ordinary moment.
See it clearly in your mind.
And ask yourself,
What if this event didn't happen for me or to me?
What if it simply happened?
Notice how the mind might immediately start searching for reasons,
You know,
For causes,
For lessons,
Or hidden meaning.
Because that's what minds do.
They weave stories.
They anchor events to beliefs and values and expectations.
But what if we paused here,
In this space,
Before the story takes hold?
What if there's no punishment or no grand plan?
No luck,
No such thing as misfortune.
What if everything that is happening is just the unfolding of life?
Empty of meaning,
Until we decide to give it one.
With each breath,
Rest in that open space.
Feel the freedom here.
The freedom to choose a story,
If you want.
And the freedom to let it be,
Without any story.
The freedom to call something a blessing,
Or a challenge,
Or a test.
Or maybe it's just another Tuesday.
This is not detachment,
In the sense of being cold or uncaring.
This is spaciousness.
It is the quiet recognition that life is not binding us to one narrative.
We have the power to shape our perspective,
Or to let the moment stand unshaped.
Breathe into that freedom.
Notice how much room there is between what happens,
And what we decide it means.
That space is choice.
And in choice,
There is power.
In choice,
There is peace.
For the next few breaths,
Sit with something in your life right now.
Watch it float in your awareness,
Free from any label,
Free from any story.
Let it simply be.
If the mind rushes to define it,
Just gently loosen your grip.
Remind yourself,
I can decide on the story later on,
Or maybe not at all.
When you are ready,
Bring your attention back to the breath.
Inhale here,
Feeling the fullness of choice.
Exhale,
Feeling the release of needing to know.
When you open your eyes,
May you carry this spaciousness with you.
Life may not be for you,
Or against you.
Maybe life simply is.
And you always have the freedom to give it meaning,
Or let it remain wide open.
