I love 13^th century Sufi poet, Rumi. His works are at once serious yet indulgent and romantic…and on some level, frivolous. How he manages to be all these things at once, I don’t know..but that’s exactly why I love him so. His work is really rounded which makes it very real. After all, which individual is not a 3D frame of complexities and contesting emotions? We are all at once, one thing yet so much more and I think Rumi captures true human essence in his work.

I came across a quote from his poem below, and it made me think.

“Live as though life is rigged in your favour.”

Perhaps a corruption of the initial translation which says,

“It’s rigged, everything- in your favour!”

I thought, “What an absolutely insane idea! How wishful!” How at once crazy- yet exciting- to imagine that everything is ordained to work out for your good. Regardless.

I thought about it and wondered why that Rumi singular line struck me so powerfully…when that’s all the bible has been trying to teach me for years.

God is amazing.

“It’s rigged — everything, in your favor.

So there is nothing to worry about.

Is there some position you want,
some office, some acclaim, some award, some con, some lover,
maybe two, maybe three, maybe four — all at once,
maybe a relationship
with
God?

I know there is a gold mine in you, when you find it
the wonderment of the earth’s gifts
you will lay aside
as naturally as does
a child a
doll.

But, dear, how sweet you look to me kissing the unreal:
comfort, fulfill yourself,
in any way possible — do that until
you ache, until you ache,
then come to me
again.”

– Rumi

I’ll end it with this quote from Huffington Post writer Richard Kronick on the Rumi quote. He says,

“You may not know it yet, but you have a winning hand in the game of life. The deck is stacked in your favor and the dealer is winking at you. On your team, are the best and the brightest, awaiting your direction. You are the house, and you always win. The universe is friendly to you, if you so choose….Life can be rigged in your favor. But there’s a small catch: You have to conduct yourself accordingly.”

Conduct Yourself Accordingly, Y’all.