'Everything you need is now free!' said the subject line of the advertisement email some company had sent me. I was tempted to look - I mean, could it really be true? At first glance it did look as though this might be something good: all sorts of items and products that used to cost money now being given away. Yes, that's right - just given away! No catch. Even the postage, if you ordered, would be free. There was just one problem. There wasn't anything there I actually wanted, let alone needed. Disappointed, I closed the email. Oh well! I would obviously have to look elsewhere to find everything I needed for nothing.
Then I got thinking...what exactly do I really need? What do any of us need? And are those things to be found on sale or special offer somewhere or, if we're lucky, given away for absolutely nothing by someone else?
The world's philosophies and religions have been telling us since the dawn of time (or at least since the first time a human being realized our ability to ponder such spiritual things) that we all have, deep inside us, everything we need already. Once we've got our shelter and food sorted and found a way to keep ourselves safe from any roaming dinosaurs and lions (and I'm guessing most of us on this side of the world these days have managed that) then anything else is available to us within our own depths of mind and soul. A sense of peace. Comfort. Encouragement. Purpose. The ability to forgive, understand, keep things in perspective. We can try looking in other places for those things. We can try persuading others that these are things that they ought to be supplying us with. But the truth is...those things...the things that we really need...are already there inside us. Absolutely free and accessible whenever we choose to go 'inside' ourselves and look and experience them.
Hilary
