All that is possible is that which takes place. Nothing other than what occurs was ever possible. This includes our actions, i.e., our physical bodily movements in real time. Many people view possibility differently than this, but I do not. I mentally align with the reality of what is physically possible for me because it assures me I am on the right track. This is because there is no other track.
It is easy to know what is possible for us to be doing in our life but requires letting go of what we formerly believed (if it was different), and patience in watching what reality presents in each moment. Our sequence of specific actions materializes in conjunction with the movement of the clock; we can observe our body occupying space on some surface and its bodily movements in relation to their various objects of interaction. This clarity is uncanny because of how we spend our mental time guessing what we are going to do, or what we should do. How strange to discover we have the answers in front of us every step of the way. We can identify what we should be doing by looking down at our body in its place of action. There is never any other person or action available to us.
I think the word possibility can be misleading and emotionally debilitating (although seemingly uplifting). It can make people feel badly about who they are and what they accomplish. I don’t experience that I have options of action. Our path of behavior is beyond our grasp, limited to how our natural course unfolds. All our thoughts involuntarily surface in our mind (like our heart beats in our chest) teasing us that “we” thought them up and can therefore guide them into desired outcomes. This is not how the brain works in producing thoughts or behavior. There is no conscious director in the way it is felt. It is true we have many ideas that correlate with the things we do, but there is no we acting upon these spontaneous neurological firings. From our perspective, our brain works behind the scenes, in the same way our circulation, digestion and hormones operate. Conscious thoughts are not what cause actions to occur.
What I do find possible to be transpiring is what I see my body doing moment after moment. This is a spectacular gift of nature; everything is done for me. Who woulda thunk it?! I also find it extremely helpful to recognize that all other beings are limited in the same way. This is mind-blowing, especially considering our current political affairs, where we believe people can control the displeasing things they are doing. Can they? How? Every individual on the planet can only know what they are going to do after they see themself doing it. All ideas, loving or mean-spirited, arise automatically in one’s mind, having no steered causal relationship to how that person may act. We witness thoughts and actions, not drum them up or direct them.
I calmly settle into the knowledge of limited possibility. It leaves me humbled, fascinated and compassionate of all of us. It is true that many things may possibly occur in our life. I enjoy not knowing what will happen in my future. It feels magical that there will be unforeseen surprises down the road I could never predict (even writing this post was unexpected as I began with something else). I can hope for good luck still understanding there is no “I” that can procure that happy fortune. I can wish for good fortune for all of us, acknowledging that natural causal chains of events abide by physical laws, not fairy tales.
Jill Eng 