I heard a profound Persian song the other day. The singer (Mohsen Chavoshi) was telling the story of a crow that lived in a farm. The crow believed he was sinful; hence, not worthy of going to pay respect to a saint’s shrine (Emam Reza). He claimed that the saint’s shrine is full of innocent pigeons and is no place for a sinner like him. The story continues, where the black crow hears a voice telling him, you are a seeker, and your color and past sins don’t matter, so, pack up and come, as sinners and saints are all the same in God’s eyes.
What a curious song!? More importantly, what a message!? It made me think of all those who don’t reach their fullest potential, based on the lies they tell themselves or based on the lies others have fed them. Statements like: “You are not good enough”, “You’ll never get there”, you always do/say…”, “This is your nature”; all have lasting and hindering effects on our psyche. Don Miguel Ruiz’ bestseller book, “The Four Agreements” focuses on how to deflect these lies and provides us with four pillars to go by:
1- Be impeccable with your words – He asks us to speak with integrity, say what we mean, don’t speak against ourselves, gossip about others, and use our words in the direction of truth and love.
2- Don’t take anything personally – He says nothing others do or say, is because of us. Other’s reality is theirs; NOT ours.
3- Don’t make assumptions – This agreement is about having the courage to ask questions, when we don’t understand something. This one is so important and making assumptions is so prevalent these days, especially in the texting arena.
4- Always do your best – this last agreement is my favorite. He clarifies that our bes, varies from moment to moment and when we do this, there won’t be a need to self-judge. Even the black crow can reflect on this agreement. If he examines his actions (which he calls sinful), he will realize that at that moment, he was doing his best based on his awareness at the time.
That black crow is in all of us. We feel sinful, when deep down inside, we know at some point, we have not done our best. I know I have had many of those moments. But, as I am aging, more often than before, I ask myself: “Is this the best you can do?”. If I honestly believe that it is, then I can go on without judging myself.
Now, my best, may not be good enough for someone else, but this life is only about MY growth. AND though I care and love to help, but your growth path is YOUR concern and none of my business. I also know and have shared often here in my notes; that, life is for us. I truly believe that life supports us and wants us to leave this earth better than we arrived. So, tell the black crow inside of you, go on that pilgrimage, find that truth, grow your wings, and fly home. Home is where YOU are!
As always, I am grateful!
AMBKJ