What is the delta between our present experience and our imagined ideal?

It is a mirage of our own construction, the mind's playground for vain imaginings. It is an oasis in the distance, moving farther and farther as we approach it. We think deeply on it, imagine how perfect it might be, and yet it then moves further and further away.

The delta is like a desert. It's conditions are harsh, leaving you burned and parched. Thirst for our mirage increases, aversion for our present circumstances increases in correlation.

The delta is a dangerous place. It is uninhabitable. Sandstorms block our views of reality, confuse and disorient us. It is the space of perfectionism that keeps us hurting and thirsting.

Some of these deserts are smaller than others. There's a difference between the Carcross and the Sahara — you can exit one with a few miles of driving, and the other is seemingly endless. There are analogues for the delta. Perhaps you may wish that your food was warmer — you can heat the food and escape (an act of terraforming) or accept your cold pizza is just fine in this moment. Or you could wish that you had a completely different family, a different personality, or entirely different life that would free you of all your present pain. This space can keep you lost for a lifetime.

Accepting the present reality can be challenging. How do we even accept it? What if it causes us a great pain that we cannot escape?

Some realities may be malleable — they can be transmuted by our efforts and actions. But many if not most lie outside our sphere of influence.

I have found prayer and meditation are tools — some confluence of the technical, psychological, and spiritual — to help ease the mind to accept the present reality. The former tends to offer hope for a better future, the latter an acceptance to the present reality. There are several manuals available for how to use these tools, but your mileage may vary.

I look forward to learning more about how to use these power tools.