Back in the mid-eighties, we walked into a health food store
and noticed a tarot card reader who, for a nominal fee, offered
short sessions for the store’s clientele. The two of us were
departing within the week for a six month intensive course at a
meditation center in Europe and thought it might be fun to see
what she had to say about our imminent trip. We had high hopes
that these six months would produce the Self Realization for
which we had worked so long and hard over many years to achieve.
So when our turn came, we sat before her with expectations of a
fun, lighthearted reading into our futures that would affirm
that we were on the right path, a path that would bring us the
illumination we desired. Contrary to our expectations, we were
in for a big surprise. It is shocking how disturbing it can be
when someone gives you information that goes in opposition to
your point of view. Here, next to the 7 grain bread and organic
beans, this tarot card reader told us what she saw with the best
of intentions and ultimately, we did not like it.
Gazing at the faces of the cards before her, she said, “I see
you are going on a trip.” This sounded like a good beginning. We
hadn’t given her any information. Next she said, “And this trip
is not a short vacation but a lengthy stay at a distant land.
You will be traveling over a large body of water so wherever you
are going, it is overseas. The cards indicate that this journey
is one that is not lightly undertaken but one of a spiritual
nature, rather like a pilgrimage of sorts.”
Wow, we thought, she is really good! If there had been a hidden
camera recording this event, the tape of our meeting would now
show us eagerly listening to catch every pearl of wisdom that
this reader had to impart. It is funny how we human beings
idealize our lives hoping to prove that the road we are
traveling is the perfect or right one and maybe it is for
awhile. But the smooth road we were on with this reader was
about to take a very sharp and bumpy turn. She certainly had
created credibility with us by describing the near future events
that were part of the script of our lives but then she said
something that sent us into an immediate panic and we broke into
a cold sweat.
Looking at the pictures intently, as if to catch some subtle
nuance, this woman solemnly pronounced that as a result of this
trip and our experiences, we would become – disillusioned.
Oh No! We wanted illumination from this investment of our time
and energy, not disillusionment, whatever that meant. It sounded
so negative and we wanted our lives to be positive. Here we
were, about to invest six months and a lot of money and we
certainly didn’t want to be disillusioned as a result. To tell
you the truth, it is hard to remember what happened next. The
idea of being disillusioned by this trip of a lifetime, which we
had planned to save us from ourselves and the domination of
life, was suddenly upsetting. We thanked her, rather stiffly,
and left that store deeply shaken by those few words that we
disagreed with.
One week later we were in Europe. Six long months later, we
were leaving Europe, in fact, disillusioned. On our journey, the
two of us discovered that we were not interested in a counter
culture way of life which by its very nature is based in
opposition to that which already exists. Rather, we realized
that we wanted to live from our truth, which is not for or
against the so-called establishment.
When we got back to the States, we thought about the tarot card
reader and what she had said and finally broke out the
dictionary to look up the word disillusion. We were surprised by
its definition because we had thought of disillusionment in all
the terms one might find in a thesaurus, i.e. failure,
disappointment, falling short of, dashing one’s hopes, etc. In
fact, the primary definition of disillusion is “to free of
illusion and false ideas.” What it means is that the illusion
under which you have been living is dissolved so that you see
the truth of the situation, as it is, not as you would prefer it
to be.
This disillusionment was the beginning of our Self Realization.
After we returned from Europe, we discovered that nothing was
going to save us from ourselves and the domination of life. No
matter where you go, you bring yourself along. Over the past
years, as seminar leaders, authors and individuals living our
lives, we have come to realize that the only time life dominates
you is when you are not living in the moment, when your hopes
for the future create an illusion of how it will someday be
better than it is now. True freedom happens when the illusion
dissolves and you live life directly in each moment not as you
would prefer it, but as it is. If you want to live life to your
potential, rather than strive to be a better you, discover who
you are and how you are being in any given moment.
Ariel and Shya Kane are internationally acclaimed seminar leaders and business consultants whose revolutionary technology, Instantaneous Transformation, has helped thousands of individuals and companies worldwide. The Kanes’ best-selling book, Working on Yourself Doesn’t Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation, is available at local and online bookstores, via the Kanes’ website or by calling toll-free 800-431-1579. Ariel and Shya lead evening and weekend groups in Manhattan, dedicated to supporting people in living in the moment and having extraordinary, fulfilling lives. For more information, including dates and location, call 908-479-6034 or visit their website: www.ask-inc.com
