longer.blue

The second law of thermodynamics states that entropy always increases, or at best, remains constant. In simpler terms, things invariably move from order towards chaos and disorder. We see this in our homes, our gardens, and our relationships—everything requires energy just to maintain the status quo. And increasingly, it feels like the same is true of our society, our public discourse, and our basic sense of human decency. Isn’t it all devolving…badly? At times like these, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed—like we need to save the world. I’ll admit, I felt that way while sitting down to write this letter. What could I possibly say that’s equal to the task? The world needs awakening! We need to raise the global vibration! What am I supposed to do about it?! Then I’m reminded of a lesson I keep relearning—simple, yet deeply uncomfortable to the rational mind: There’s nothing I have to do. Nothing to fix. Everything is unfolding exactly as it needs to. My mind resists this—it feels outrageous, even intolerable, in a world that seems so broken. But deep down, I feel the truth in it. And in that moment of surrender, my own vibration shifts. I become present, clear, even self-realized. Of course, life keeps moving. There’s still a roof to maintain and meals to make. And that’s okay. Chop wood, carry water, as the saying goes. As we move beyond the ordinary and away from the physical with greater regularity, we routinely encounter paradox —the need to hold two seemingly contradictory truths at once. Zen koans work in this way. Examples may include: going really fast is the same as being at rest; in aloneness there can be great intimacy; and in truly understanding the question, we have the desired answer. Or, as it relates to self-realization, there is no self to realize. Coming back to entropy, there’s an important caveat: the second law only applies to closed systems. Physics tells us the universe is a closed system, so entropy rules. But what if it isn’t? What if the physical world is merely a projection of a higher-dimensional reality not bound by space and time? As you become an explorer of consciousness, you can answer this question for yourself. Which brings me to this: when we each do our inner work, we become conduits for unbounded energy. And then, our world starts behaving less like a closed system. So keep going. Keep chopping wood. Keep carrying water.