Things Can Not Be Different Than They Are

Things cannot be different then they are. How could they be?

It requires imagination to create an alternate reality...and us to buy into that imaginary scenario as possible reality...to believe they could be different. This goes for the past, as well. Things could not have been any different than they were. Only imagination would say otherwise.

Sit with this. Consider the implications. If things can not and could not be different, what does this mean for regret, guilt, or worry? These feelings, and all seeking behavior, are rooted in a belief that there is something better. But how could there be outside of imagination?

Transcript

That is like just so difficult to see until we see it and then it's so obvious which is probably describes a lot of things but is this idea that things cannot be different than they are.

In this moment this is what is and and for us to experience that they should be different that requires imagination that requires thought to create some alternate reality some other way that things should be and for us to believe that imagination that imaginary story and then we're kind of in this place of it's still just thinking we're still just believing it life is still whatever it is but attention is in this story that says this could have happened instead or this should be happening instead this should not be what this is right now here is wrong there's some alternative that's feasible or possible and I mean isn't it one of those things that's like when you hear it like that like of course we live in that so much whether it's about now whether it's about the past this thing could have turned out differently than it turned out like how could it have turned out differently than it turned out really how could it how could right this minute this moment this right here whatever this is and that's a whole other thing I'm going to touch on in a second but how could this experience whatever it is for you what is here right now actually be different than what it is it only can in imagination it only can when we make up a story of something else which is made up which is imagination and then we pretend like that is real or could be real I think this is so massive to really really see all of seeking has to be rooted in this right if if things cannot be other than they actually are if we really see it can only be exactly as it is and it only ever could have been exactly as it was and moving forward which is more imagination but we'll just go there you know we think about think about the future it's only going to be whatever it's going to be think about all the seeking that comes up to try to counteract this the seeking that is there to make this other than it is it's all rooted in there is some other way this is not enough this is not good enough this is not final enough this is not complete enough this is not whole enough I am not enough I'm like there I can be different I could be different he could be different she could be different all seeking is rooted in that belief that things could be different and it has to be a belief it's a belief based on our imagination conjuring up something that's not real and and telling us that that's a possibility for right here right now so it's like this is the root of all of this seeking also what this feels like it's really rooted in is is thinking we know what is like for us to say and I'm not suggesting we're consciously doing all this but really look at this for a second for for us to conclude on some level that this is not enough we're assuming that we know what this is we're putting a stake in the ground which which we aren't doing the mind is doing that all the time but we're we're in that you know we're believing that as if it's true so it's like the mind is saying here's who and what you are here's who and what he is you should be otherwise he should be otherwise this moment should be otherwise it's it's imagination creating alternate realities but it's also imagination creating this reality you know it's like it's like us thinking that we know what is so when we think we know what this moment is there's no way we know what how how do we know what this moment is I mean on the one hand it is all there is and our experience is all all we have so we we know that on some level we we are in this experience but you can notice the mind coming in with these labels and judgments and statements and stakes in the ground about what is and that is thought that is not what is that's thought so it's like we get to fully be in in this mystery of what this moment is who I am who he is who you are not knowing any of that and when we don't know any of that it doesn't make any sense that the mind would go create an imaginary something else like it this is all kind of rooted again around thinking we know thinking we know what's what and think about the implications of this to really sit with this that the past let's say could not have been any different than it was nothing in in the past as you think about it right now because there really is no past there's only your memories of it in this moment but even in your memories of it in this moment you remember events you remember things that happened along with those memories might come a story and some thoughts that this should have been different this could have gone differently that's thought right now that's that's imagination right now wrapping it around more thought right now which we call a memory so to really sit with this and see that nothing could have been actually actually could have been different than it was how could it have been like how really how could it have been how could this right here right now truly be anything other than exactly what it is without jumping into a created story about it it couldn't be and the implications of that are gigantic if the past could not have been anything other than exactly what it was what's all the guilt about what's all the regret about what's all the shame about what's all the replaying of events to try to try to reconcile them or see them differently what's what's that about if things just always are and were and will be exactly what they are period but for imagination telling us otherwise but not really but for imagination tells us otherwise but it just is what it is what's all the regret guilt shame overthinking replaying of events about and looking the other way which is also imagination projecting what might happen i mean look at the way we scramble and try to plan and protect and put certain things into the future to make things go our way if they could much of that is rooted again in thinking i don't want this to happen again so i'm going to do this later it's all it's all imagination so sit with that these imaginary worlds where there are alternate realities that that have not played out are so pervasive and they feel so absolutely real we're so identified with them they have logic to them at times even when we can see there's no logic even when we see through the that there is no logic they have a feel to them like it just feels like it must have been it could have been different it feels like i can do something about making it different later it's such a such a vivid human amazing alive experience but but really look at really look at that how could things have been different and as that settles so much starts to lighten up

Reviews

Thank you 🙏

How can things be any different than they are? Perfect reminder on what we think would have been “better” are just stories of alternative outcomes that we imagine it to be but how sure are we, how do we know. Nice!

❤️

Thank you. It is what it was and what it will be no matter how much I want to change it in the past, now or in the future. So I need to stop the creative changes I think about and accept the incident and its consequences! Its like a letting go without feelings attached- just the facts remain. Helpful for me to look differently at a past hurt. Thank you.

I really enjoyed this talk and the ideas put forth. Made so much sense for me. Thank you 😊🥰

So freeing to really stop and see this! Thank you for the exploration

Such a powerful reminder! Guilt, shame, regret, and replaying scenarios no longer make sense when you see that things couldn’t have been different. Thank you, Amy!