Sitting With Difficulty

As we (John & Gaia) sit down to write this –
It’s Sunday tea-time.

With the dark closing in, one hour earlier than yesterday.
Monday tomorrow.
Winter coming.
Lockdown news getting heavier every day.

We all face different levels of difficulty.
We all face difficulty in different ways.

But this message from us, as the darkness descends, is –

Can you sit with difficulty?

A few years ago, having faced a good deal of difficulty over the previous couple of years, we wrote and produced a song about Facing Difficulty.

You can hear it / watch it on this video we’re sharing with you –

It’s powerful.
We’ve never shared this before like this.
And we’re guessing it’ll touch you in many ways.

And here are the lyrics for your delectation –

Say F**k It & Face It

If you believe you can hide from the pain and difficulty,
And you believe you can avoid discomfort and even misery,
Then you will likely miss the joy too,
The full awareness you experience when fully you.

Because if you numb yourself to all the pain,
You numb yourself to the good stuff just the same.
So accept the downs as well as the ups,
The shit times and the total f**k-ups.

Scream at the injustice but don’t ignore it,
Feel free to howl at the wolves,
But ignoring them never resolves,
What’s there already, a matter of stark reality.

Life Can Be Painful.
Life Can Be Painful.

Have courage and face it.
Say F**k It and face it.

Open to it all – the lows and the highs,
Open to it all – don’t try to exorcise –
It’s all for the taking,
Just open to the breaking,
Life gives most back,
When we accept even the crap,
When we try to resist,
The damned thing just persists,
So give in and get real,
Open now to all you feel.

Have courage and face it.
Say F**k It and face it.

We’re back.
So this is our invitation –
As many of us humans face difficulty in pandemic and other shapes…

Try to sit with difficulty.

Don’t numb yourself to it.
(‘Because if you numb yourself to all the pain,
You numb yourself to the good stuff just the same’).

We’ll be helping you over the coming weeks with what to do in the face of difficulty.

Love and strength in difficult times,
John & Gaia xx