“Everything about life is a joke. Don’t you know that?”

~ Kurt Vonnegut

Have you ever laughed so hard that you cried? Or worse…peed your pants?

Years ago, I was blessed to spend time with a master in India who told me a joke that has had me laughing on the inside ever since. She introduced me to the truth of who we are beyond this body and mind. It was the most mind-blowing experience of my life!

She figuratively slapped every false identity I had of myself until I could see, without a doubt, the truth that lies at the source of all life.

Love. Peace. Wisdom. Power. Freedom. These are the essences of who I am.

In hopes of receiving a hefty dose of love and wisdom, I had spent years fixing my personality, healing my wounds and mending my broken heart. Little did I realize that these qualities are my true nature and the very act of seeking them was denying my own self.

Does this make sense? I hope not! This point is beyond understanding and can only be recognized from a place of total surrender to what is true in each moment, rather than what we want to be true. Are you laughing yet?

So what is the joke? I’m glad you asked!

I question people everyday on what they want and the answer always includes more love, more peace, more wisdom, more freedom or more money (in order to have more freedom).

The funny part is: we are love! We are peace itself. We are freedom at the core of our being. It is like searching for the glasses that are sitting on top of our head!

Hahaha!

We often take life way too seriously when all that we need is right here in each moment. In the moments that our focus moves away from the deeper truth and towards the illusion of lack in our lives, we just need the maturity to stop looking outside of ourselves.

Three tips to understanding the joke of life:

1. The next time you are feeling sad, alone and in pain, do not try to numb it or avoid it.

Feel it, open to the pain, let it move through you and surrender to the flow of emotion (energy in motion). Let the wave wash over you and focus on the ocean of love that the wave emerged from and returns to. Take in a deep breath in the moment and acknowledge that love itself is watching the painful wave. Love is never absent, just overlooked.

2. When you are feeling stressed, anxious or confused and your mind is running at one hundred miles an hour, do not try and force it to stop.

Do not numb it with your favorite addiction or indulge in blaming someone else for your situation. Let the mental storm pass. Open your mind, take in some deep breaths and give the storm lots of room to move through in its own time. Acknowledge that a powerful silence is watching the mind’s chaos. Peace is never absent, just overlooked.

3. When you are feeling trapped in a situation, smothered and overwhelmed by life, do not attack the perceived threat, run away or have an adult tantrum.

Let the feeling of being trapped move through you. Stop, breathe and dive deeper than the feeling to the unlimited expanse that is watching the restriction. Freedom is never absent, just overlooked.

From this deeper perspective, we always have exactly what we need in each and every single moment. Our instincts and intuition can clearly guide us to create the circumstances on the surface that reflect the recognition of truth at the core. The coming and going of circumstances, places, people, money and experiences then become a playful game.

We are here to enjoy the challenge and to laugh at the joke!

Courtney Prosser is a nature lover, wellness junkie and lover of all things true, fun and real. She has worked for 15 years as an Occupational Therapist, Counselor, Wellness Coach and Author. Courtney has travelled the world and studied with indigenous healers and shamans. She has sat at the feet of enlightened masters in India and spent thousands of hours alone in nature listening to the subtle guidance within. Connect with Courtney on her website or on Facebook.

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Assistant Ed: Meagan Edmondson/Ed: Bryonie Wise