Deepok

I just finished reading an interview with Deepok Chopra in Elephant magazine. He has written a novel called BUDDHA and was being interviewed about his book and his life.
The teaching that most resonated with me was: "Joy is not wanting to judge or be judged. Joy is a sense of profound peace. Joy is creativity. Joy is not a permanently blissed-out state. That would doom us to eternal senility." It seems to me that joy is an inner state of accepting things as they are and being present with that, even if things suck. When I know I will be there for myself no matter what I can let my natual state of relaxed joyfulness bubble up. It doesn't mean I have to like the circumstances. Deepok also talks about being present in the midst of the choas around us. He flies all over the world and has written about twelve books. The interviewer asked him how he stays so busy and seems so peaceful. He said, "My body travels all over the place but I don't get involved."
My challenge right now is to bring myself back to center and the sense of trusting in the universe that things work out. I am waiting to have my surgery scheduled and it's been three weeks. I have been gathering and sending all the things that are my part of setting up out of town surgery. This surgery isn't major. My condition is extremely rare and there is one person who only does this kind of surgery. I am fortunate to be able to go for the best. So are many other people which is why it takes so long to schedule. I have been in limbo not knowing when this is happening and putting a lot of things on hold. I am anxious when I feel out of control and am facing the unknown. So, it has been quite a teaching to bring myself back to center and to feel my sense of joy bubbling up in the midst of it all underneath worry about the future. It is relatively easy for me to feel joyful when things are going well. When things are challenging it is easy for me to lose my trust and start expecting the worst. It is actually helping me to trust in the universe more when I am stripped of my usual illusion of control. What is your challenge to be peaceful in the midst of right now?
One more thing about this article. Deepok met with the president of Coca-Cola and asked him," Could you help me market peace in the way you marketed Coke? That way there could be peace in the world." The guy left coca-cola and is now working with Deepok Chopra marketing peace. I felt hopeful about possibilities and used it to reinforce my growing belief that everything works out, even if it doesn't fit my pictures.