Previously
The last number of weeks we have been travelling with Janus, Santiago and Andreas and we discovered that they had indeed met Mike when they approached the place where they believed the treasure to be.
Life goes full circle as we discovered also with the intersection between the lives of these three, Electra, Mike, the vixen and our original three adventurers.
How often do seemingly meaningless connections that determine our destiny go unnoticed in the maelstrom of living? Would it just be possible if we were more aware of what we truly want that our minds could be more open to opportunities that present themselves to us every day?
In the meantime, let's return to our friends who have just asked Mike what they could expect, when they find the treasure that they each seek.
The story Continued
“So when you get where you are going,” posed Mike. “What each of you could end up seeing could well be something that you knew about all along but had not yet realised how easy it was to find!”
“That sure tells us a lot, it gives us great scope to plan our adventure!” said Prostremo sarcastically. One could see an internal battle going on inside him; he was struggling with the concept of trying to find something he did not know what it was in a place he had yet to find.
As though reading his mind Nunco said, “without a map it can be difficult to plan a journey, especially if you don't know where you are or where you are going!”
“Well it's easy to see that we are in the middle of nowhere, beside a lake talking a whole load of crap!” exclaimed Preteritus feeling rather frustrated, “and we don't seem to have got any further to where ever the heck we are going!”
“Three days ago, did you know where you were?” asked Mike.
“Of course I do! We were these three hopeful fools setting out on a journey to find our fortune from a place that we really knew and you know what?” Preteritus asked rhetorically, “I actually think for once that maybe Prostremo was right wanting to bring a map along!”
“But what good would that have done, if we didn't know where we were going?” said Nunco, another of his mischievous grins spreading across his face, “After all where would we have put the ‘X marks the spot'?”
“Then what are we doing here if we don't actually have a plan then?” said Prostremo.
“Do you know what you really want out of life? Do you know what will make you most happy to be alive?” asked Mike.
“To get out of that boring job I was in, which I seem to have done ending up in the middle of nowhere talking a load of nonsense, in fact maybe I should just go back to it now, since maybe now it doesn't seem so bad after all!” replied Prostremo.
“Whatever you focus on, is what is most likely to manifest itself into you life.” Said Mike. “And even if you manage to focus on what you don't want, what you don't want ends up being your key focus and you should not be surprised that that is what you end up having!”
“So are you telling me I should focus on getting to this treasure, whatever it is and stop whinging?” asked Prostremo
“I don't know what is right for you Pro, but I have a real belief that I will find what I want.” Said Nunco. “And since I don't know precisely what the treasure is, what I am enjoying most is the journey. Look at all the people that we have met and indeed the animals that have led to some wonderful insights into whom we really are. In fact in so many ways, I already feel richer for the last three days.”
“Are you saying that you would be happy to go right home now then?” asked Electra, waking up from a daze in which she had half been listening to the conversation.
“Why would I wish to leave you guys right now?” he replied.
“Because we're a bunch of moaning gits, who don't seem to have anything going for them right now, well I'll leave Electra out of the equation right now, because she seems to have actually enjoyed our company.” Said Preteritus.
“You guys are great” Replied Electra, “you truly are and in this short time, I have to come to love you all in a special way, but why are you so hard on yourself, surely you believe there must be some good in you Pre!”
“Is there not good in everyone?” asked Mike.
“That reminds me of a beautiful story I heard a while ago.” Said Nunco. “My friend's daughter was having a problem with one of her six year old buddies at school and she came home one night and announced that her friend was mean! Always striving to be a good father he responded to his daughter by acknowledging that this situation did indeed made her sad, following up by asking her if there was any way that she could see something nice in her friend.
“Her response completely amazed him and indeed me, for it is completely true when people say that you can learn so much from, children's interpretations of seemingly unconnected conversations and the deep insights they reveal when we let them. Indeed it is far greater than any lessons learned without doing that come from books or classes.
Rolling her eyes up in her head, a look of realisation and wonderment flitted across her face as she recalled a conversation that they had had the a few weeks previously. ‘I get it' she said and looking really rather serious she continued, mustering the amazing innocent logic of a six year old, as yet untainted by adultitis! ‘Didn't we agree that God is everywhere' to which of course he agreed and she continued with. ‘And God is good, yes?' again he agreed encouraging her to continue. ‘Which means if God is everywhere, then he will also be in my friend, which means that if I look hard enough I can find him, and that bit will be good and if I keep thinking about the good in her, then it will be easy for us to be friends again' she concluded with a triumphant smile, but still not quite finished she added. ‘So maybe she wasn't really being mean to me at all, its just that I couldn't see the good at the time!'”
Electra looked up, tears in her eyes as she remembered her Sophie and could see the beautiful simplicity of the story. “Sophie would have been six this year, and I can imagine the beauty of what she might have come up with, in fact while it is hugely painful, I can still see her and talk to her as though she was here and I know she is in a place without the pain of this world.”
“Sorry Electra, I wasn't thinking!” said Nunco.
“On the contrary, Nunco, thank you for telling us that beautiful story.” Said Electra, “it actually brings to mind yet another way that I feel we can all learn and gain hugely from children.”
“And what's that?” asked Preteritus, feeling somewhat abashed for his earlier negativity.
“Well, it is actually something I have missed since Sophie left.” Said Electra. “When you take the time to instil core values of honesty, passion and confidence in a child, there is a knock-on effect. What actually ends up happening is that through the continual positive reinforcement, you actually end up reinforcing those same beliefs and values into yourself.”
“I suppose you could call it a form of neural conditioning through repetition.” Added Nunco for clarification.
“Well it sure beats the negative neural conditioning we get each day from the news and the gloomy outlook many people that you meet or hang out with come say to you!” said Preteritus.
“And I think I am starting, yet again to understand where Nunco and Mike are coming from in respect to where we are going.” Said Prostremo. “In fact who knows what paradise or even enlightenment really looks like, yet so many religions or spiritual groups encourage us by telling us, that if we are good we will eventually end up there.”
“But I suppose the real question on so many people's lips is – can we actually find paradise on earth?” posed Mike.
…To be continued.
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