FAILURE...LETTING GO, MASKED

God is not found in the soul by adding anything, but by a process of subtraction. --  Meister Eckhart

I am coming to believe that Eckhart's claim about subtraction ranks in importance right up there with his saying that thank you is the one prayer sufficient in life.

Then there is my long-time favorite: Loose it and let it go. 

Not to mention, If at first you don't succeed, quit...don't be an ass about it.

True, we must try with a will or fall by the wayside, but spiritual growth teaches us also to quit trying and to start listening within for the quiet word...when to stop trying and when to start listening are a tish dicey, but that's what trust is for.

Spiritual growth also teaches us that going it alone in spiritual matters is dangerous, so before we make any decision, we'd best be chatting up mentors, friends and fellow travelers...another risky venture, admitting we don't know and asking for help.  

Then we turn within to listen for the Word. Even with all our prior proper planning,  making our decision usually feels like holding our nose and taking a leap of faith...leading to a quibble or a paradox: Why does fear of failure so often keep us immobile, inactive, mute? We know (from experience) that failure can, often does, result in personal gold for us.

Ah, trying and failing is our letting go. That it is that masquerades as failure. In reality it is letting go that opens the door to the Father within.

There. Why "try, try again" can qualify as staying stuck in the reasoning mind or Einstein's definition of insanity. 

Maybe Life really is all about others...friends. enemies, mentors, et al. (Which leads to the belief that we learn more from our enemies than from our friends...and the learning is in what we learn about ourself from our reaction to our enemies.)

Face it, it is others that help us know when to stay and when to go, when to do Yes and when to do No. Maybe Life depends on our sharing our I-don't-know with others, on our risking failure which is nothing more nor less than letting go...letting go of the nattering self so the Father's voice may be heard.

Letting go...definitely subtraction rather than addition.

Thank you.