Doors

Every moment is a doorway to another life. Liberation is passing through the doorway to inner truth and outer honesty.

For example, this is why Gay Liberation is centered still on coming out, not on the external rights or privileges granted to the individual by a society. Gay Rights and Gay Liberation are two distinct and separate phenomena.

All forms of personal liberation begin an internal process. This is why I am an advocate of practice, the moment-by-moment attempt to be real, mindful and compassionate to myself and to my environment. This is the stuff of liberation, which is not a one-time fix. Liberation is an ongoing process. I have come from Gay Liberation to Gray Liberation, as I deal with aging and various health challenges.

Shutting the door to liberation in the moment to pour a stiff drink, pop a pill or light a joint simply postpones the work needed to achieve personal happiness and/or personal peace. Retreating to the shadows of habit or compulsion may comfort for the moment, but this process will not advance the path to a clear and open mind.

Open the door of this moment and take a deep breath. Look boldly at the list of things which need to be done in your life in order to put your mind at peace. Keep opening each door with a sense of purpose and resolve. Gradually the choice of light and freedom from old ghosts will become the natural choice as each momentary door opens. The doors to anxiety, depression and self-deception will close behind you.

This is not prescription from a guru. This is simply the sharing of my own inner voice. This is the cheering voice of my own humanist practice.