Everyone Freaks OutI once saw a brochure from one of our great national parks that said:“If you should find yourself in the jaws of a Grizzly Bear, remain calm. Itcan make the difference between your being badly mauled and losing yourlife.” I knew immediately that this “how-to” tip wouldn’t help me. I’mdefinitely not one to stay calm in such a situation, although I do takecomfort in the notion that should I find myself in this very dilemma, Imight be frozen stiff with terror. The bear, perhaps not being all thatbright, might then think me calm or dead, or whatever it takes for a grizzlybear to suddenly lose interest, drop its dinner to the ground, and go offlooking for new prey.Nothing is more important than calming down, but it’s not always possible.While we’re on the subject of wildlife, here’s another story that illustratesthis point. Some years back I went to a two-week spiritual retreat inArizona led by Carolyn Conger, a psychologist and one of the wisest peopleI’ve ever met. The experience included a solo retreat into the desert, wherewe would spend two days fasting and practicing total silence. In preparation wepracticed several different meditations, the group energy allowing for a fardeeper calm, stillness and centering than individuals might have achievedon their own. Afterward, we sat in a circle and each person told a storyfrom his or her experience.The story I remember best came from a woman who was more spirituallyadvanced than I could aim for. She had encountered a snake. Havingpracticed meditation with discipline for just this sort of eventuality beforeheading out on the retreat, she understood that no harm would come toher if she achieved the place of stillness and calm she knew was availableto her. But there she was, face-to-face with a large rattlesnake, coiled,ready to strike, its rattling filling the otherwise silent desert air. All thatshe had practiced in the way of mindfulness and inner stillness was useless.…