#4: The Law of Least Effort

This fourth law comes at a good time. So you know by now that things ended with NH #2 because we decided...well, he decided that would not be able to handle residency and a relationship at the same time. I decided that it wasn't worth it to get more invested in something that was not going to go anywhere anyway. Whether or not that was a good decision is still up for debate, but at this point, I'm leaning towards no. Why would I not just make the most of the time we have left? I don't know, but now I'm feeling like maybe it's too late to change my mind.... Anyway, I promise this is relevant.

"The Law of Least Effort" is based on the fact that nature's intelligence functions with effortless ease and abandoned carefreeness. This is the principle of least action, of no resistance...Least effort is expended when your actions are motivated by love...When you seek power and control over others you waste energy.

According to Chopra, there are three components to "The Law of Least Effort." The first component is acceptance. Acceptance means that you make a commitment: "Today I will accept people, situations, circumstance and events as they occur." This means I will know that this moment is as it should be, because the whole universe is as it should be. When you struggle against this moment, you're actually struggling against the whole universe. When you choose not to struggle, this means that your acceptance of this moment is total and complete.

Okay, so here's where my initial blurb is relevant, and also where I am a bit confused. According to Chopra, if I had accepted the situation as it was-- the fact that NH#2 was going to New Hampshire and just kept going with it, then would things be better right now? By ending things was I struggling against the whole universe, in an effort to protect myself? And now, if I go back and attempt to fix things... well is that struggling against how things are now? Chopra goes on to say, "You accept things as they are, not as you wish they were in this moment...you can wish for things to be different in the future but in this moment you have to accept things as they are." So does that mean I just have to accept that I made this choice? What if I had never made the choice in the first place...so if everyone just accepts things as they are in the moment, then does anything change? Should everyone just wait for other people to do things then?

Chopra also says that when you feel frustrated or upset by a person, remember you are not reacting to that person or situation, but to your feelings about that person or situation. When you recognize and understand this completely, you are ready to take responsibility for how you feel and to change it. Responsibility is also the second component of "The Law of Least Effort." Responsibility means not blaming anyone or anything for your situation, including yourself. Having accepted this circumstance, responsibility means the ability to have a creative response to the situation as it is now. All problems have seeds of opportunity and this awareness allows you to take this moment and transform it into a better situation or thing.

Okay I understand this second concept, learn and create opportunities from every situation, but I have to say, I think it will be very difficult not to blame myself for stuff, since, well, that's sort of my M.O. It does feel like it could be helpful to separate myself from my feelings though, and not be one in the same. I do have sort of a hard time buying into the idea that "this moment is as it should be" and whatever relationships you have attracted in your life at this moment are precisely the ones that you need in your life at this moment. I mean what about people who are in really negative or abusive relationships? I understand that maybe they could learn from these relationships, just as any other relationship, but who needs an a person in their lives who makes them miserable? Is Chopra saying that you are choosing to react to someone beating the crap out of you in a negative way? Is there a positive way to look at something like that? Maybe I am missing the point, I do know that I am going on a bit of a tangent that is somewhat irrelevant to the rest of the post, but I guess I just feel like there may be certain situations where this doesn't apply???

The third component of the Law of Least Effort is the defenselessness, which means that your awareness is established in defenselessness and you have relinquished the need to convince or persuade others of your point of view. When you become defensive, blame others and do not accept and surrender to the moment you life meets resistance.

I've got nothing to say to this, as I feel like this is not a problem for me. In fact I feel like I need to be doing a better job of convincing others of my points of view...

And so it comes to this: I will put the "Law of Least Effort into effect by making a commitment to take the following steps:

1. I will practice acceptance. Today I will accept people, situations, circumstance, and events as they occur. I will know that this moment is as it should be, because the whole universe is as it should be. i will not struggle against the whole universe by struggling against this moment. my acceptance is total and complete. I accept things as they are this moment, not as I wish they were.

2. Having accepted things as they are, I will take responsibility for my situation and for all those events i see as problems. I know that taking responsibility means not blaming anyone or anything for my situation (and this includes myself!) I also know that every problem is an opportunity in disguise, and this alertness to opportunities allows me to take this moment and transform it into a greater benefit.

3. Today my awareness will remain established in defensivelessness. I will relinquish the need to defend my point of view. i will feel no need to convince or persuade others to accept my point of view. I will remain open to all points of view and not be rigidly attached to any one of them.