I used to think that everything people told me was true, but found it to be false. With a new thought process based on instinct and intuition…believing, once again, everyone to be true. Smiling as this is written, the wisdom flowing from our daily lessons will tell our daily story. Dare to be open to these lessons life has to offer, dare to be in awe.

One day, Ani Po found herself working at a property, that she once managed, when she noticed a man just sitting there. Terrence was his name and he was about to enlighten her in how to live her authentic self. Terrence was a modern day Warrior, daring to be who he wants to be. He no longer subscribes to the collective voice of having to work the fingers to the bone to get what we want in life.

If all we seek in life is happiness, we need to look no further.

Accept it wherever and whenever possible.

~Joseph

Whenever Ani Po would go to this particle property, Terrence would always be sitting in the same spot. Usually drinking his coffee or rolling his own cigarette, he often smiled at the presence of Ani Po. If it were later in the afternoon, a nice sixteen ounce barley pop would accompany his ritual of rolling his own cigarettes.

This day in particular, Ani Po decided to ask her friend Terrence, “What is the meaning to life?”

Terrence: “To Live.”

Ani Po: “But what kind of life do you want to live?”

Terrence: “I am living my dream.”

Ani Po: “Your dream?”

Perplexed at this last statement, Ani Po found it hard to believe that he was living his dream or that he was living life to the fullest. So she asked him, “How could you possibly be living the dream? Do you think you are living life to the fullest?”

Terrence: “I have everything I need Ani Po. I have my smokes, I have my coffee, I have my Beers, and occasionally I have me a lady. What more do I need?”

Ani Po: “Don’t you want to do something with your life?”

Terrence: “I am. Are you happy Ani Po?”

“Of course I am!”

Terrence: “No Ani Po…are you really happy? So happy that you no longer have to worry about anything or realize you have everything you need happy?”

Ani Po: “We have to go out and get what we want…In order to find happiness?!”

Terrence: “That is what I used to think. Then one day I grew tired of working my knuckles until they bled and I chose to be happy from that day forward. I did nothing but remained in happiness.”

As Terrence spoke of working his knuckles to the bone until they bled, Ani Po noticed the scars and open wounds on her own knuckles.

“You see Ani Po…society wants you to believe that we have to do something at every given moment of our lives. What they fail to see is that doing nothing is also doing something. Often times it is the nothingness that we find everything we need to know about our lives. Happiness is not in doing any one thing, instead it is just enjoying everything about life as it was a mystery. When we find ourselves in awe, we find something new in our everyday lives. For me, I can sit here and watch different people walk by everyday. I have everything I need, but I do not subscribe to thinking that wants are needs.”

Ani Po sits down and lets it sink in. She begins to ponder why she works so hard and where she is going in life.

Sell your cleverness and purchase bewilderment.

~Rumi

This message is not to encourage laziness and doing nothing…not at all. What the message is about is finding what matters most in our lives. When we come to a place of happiness, we instinctively begin to drop that which does not make us happy. For Terrence, he found happiness and needed nothing more.

The other part of the message was the willingness of Ani Po to listen to varying views of Terrence. She accepted him for his lifestyle and opened the possibility of learning balance from this man who did nothing, as far as society dictates, with his life. While she worked her knuckles to the bone, she realized that she already had everything she needed. What more does she want?

When we ask ourselves…Do I have everything I need? or What more do I want? This sets in motion our need to get things done. Whether we work our knuckles to the bone or we sit on a porch rolling cigarettes, believe it or not both can have happiness. While most will call Terrence a free-loader, Ani Po sees an enlightened being.

It is better to be crazy, than to be a fool.

~Joseph

Stepping into the Canvas selling ones cleverness. To be open to whatever Life has to offer opens us up for many more miracles in life. As soon as we think we know the meaning of life, we failed to know the meaning of life. Purchasing bewilderment, remaining in a state of awe, we find ourselves experiencing the many miracles of life. Be like that of a child, enjoying the many splendors of The Canvas.