Equanimity

There are few states that people describe as a desired outcome that people seem to want less in application than equanimity. It seems great, this calm and even keeled relationship to life. However most people really do not want to be OK with whatever happens. I feel it is a state of mind that we should examine and promote. 

Equanimity, or to treat all things as equal is to have an unconditional love for life. It is what the Course In Miracles describes as the loss of the dream of specialness. Your children and mine are of equal value. Every day is the essential day, and every human the representative of the whole human race.

It is a word that connects to words like tranquility, whose root is “quil” , the writing utensil, meaning to take radical authorship of your life. It is essentially positive indifference. Most of us tend to have a situation in the back of our mind right now that we do not want to happen. A worst case scenario. This situation, which represents a state of being that we do not want to experience or death itself, and the emotions we fear will be present in those situations.

We have a situation we are unwilling to accept, and emotions we are unwilling to experience. An emotionally identified self is trying to make sure that a future emotionally identified self comes into being. Both of which are imaginary, a fiction. A fictional self attempting to control another fictional self.

Equanimity doesn't mean we do not strive for desired outcomes. We are just honest with ourselves that we can only control what we do. In making our output our success, we face the day with the courage to love what is. 

Positive indifference, also known as unconditional love, aka equanimity is like a good marriage. One that the good times are enjoyed more because both people know that the other will be there through thick and thin. Equanimity is to be willing to accept the emotion you are feeling right now. Let the future take care of itself.