(a 5 minute read) Jayden although impressed with Sharon’s delivery, was still not satisfied with the point she’s trying to make, so he contemplated, “You’ve switched on me to humility so abruptly, that I am not sure I follow!” To quickly fill the reader in, last time, Sharon presented to Jayden the importance of one knowing their strongest characteristics as they are, and at the same time, one’s weakest characteristics, and knowing those will bring in modesty and humility in one’s attitude and ultimately action.

Sharon smiled, straightened up her back in her seat, and her head perked up, “I know I know it is kind of puzzling, but let me try and make sense of it here.”

Sharon recalled their friend Misty when they were on their vacation. How as they walked the streets of San Francisco they encountered a few things. First, they passed by a Yoga studio and the conversation was about what’s so special with yoga? The conclusion was that people practicing yoga claim it gives them calmness amidst the constant hustle & bustle of this world. An inner peace if you may.

Second they passed a group of 5 smiling Tibetan monks. Jayden laughed and said, “Why are they always smiling even as they walk?” Misty was quick to point out that they live such a disciplined life full of practices that are designed to give them peace and tranquility, and that’s exhibited by their smiles.

Then as they passed a Hindu temple Sharon recounted the statistics of the number of people seeking solace in Hindu, Buddhist and other religions that are presented to bring peace into one’s life. Then she exclaimed, “Interestingly the Judeo-Christian and Muslim faiths preach; come to know God for that will give you ultimate utter and complete inner peace and joy!”

Sharon surmised, “So for thousands of years now, and probably for thousands to come, humanity is searching for the same thing. It actually yearns, covets and aches for the same thing. Simply put, each one of us wants to be jiggy on the inside.”

Sharon tilted her head unsure if she’s getting through, “Do you get me?”

Jayden ever so skeptical said, “So you’re telling me you have the answer to humanity’s ever pressing question!”

A waiter almost dropped a tray from how loud Sharon laughed and said, “So you do get me!” then she let a moment of silence linger in there a while before she continued, “What I am saying is that indeed the question has been and will continue to be the same, in my humble opinion of course.” Sharon winked at Jayden and she proceeded to elaborate about the bewilderment of the constancy of this search.

We use ‘emptiness’ or a ‘void’ as terms to describe the cause of the searching. And we believe that we need to fill this ‘nothingness’ with ‘something’. It makes sense, so we do it. We try this, whatever this is, with its new set of disciplines. It is these new disciplines that we need to learn is what keeps us busy, occupied better yet, fills the void with something. But soon we discover that after a while we need something else.

What if we throw out the precept of ‘emptiness’ and instead use ‘lack of contentment’.

How are you feeling? ‘I feel empty’ would never be used, and rather start saying, “I am not content with what I have.”

What’s the difference?                    Everything

The first realization is that I indeed have something. I am NOT void and I am NOT empty.

The second realization is that it is the ‘I’ that needs to do something about it and it is not ‘the’ thing or the lack there of the ‘thing’ that needs to change, for I do indeed have something already.

Many a time we search for the thing that will lead us to serenity, tranquility, peacefulness and JOY.

Be Still and know.            For it is within you and not out there somewhere.