Once upon a time, we were all real! Just naturally ourselves. When we wanted to laugh, we laughed. When we wanted to cry, we cried. When we were angry, we were angry. We danced and jumped and shrieked with delight. Playfulness was our essence. We lived in innocence, knowing nothing, except what we needed at that moment.

We were very small and needed the love of others, it was our only security. The price for that love was that we started “growing old,” rather than just naturally maturing and “growing up.” The day we became good boys and girls was a catastrophe. We stopped growing – we became artificial, unnatural and serious.

Also, the world around us was so exciting and we wanted to go “out” and discover everything, so we became so knowledgeable about everything except ourselves. In the process, we forgot who we really are, and lost the innate ability to relax into not-knowing.

Now is our chance to take ourselves back to that same fork in the road. This time we can consciously choose to take the path of playfulness, innocence, naturalness, laughter… rediscovering our originality, individuality, and freedom. And once we are on the road of authenticity, then finding ourselves, finding our center, finding our own inner joy will happen by itself.

Then follows the hour of just sitting silently. You will be fresher, more innocent, and meditation will become easier.