The holiday season always brings with it some stress and lately I have begun to understand that situations that stress or frustrate us are simply asking us to find the real truth at the heart of life.
Let me explain what I mean. Ups and downs are part and parcel of life, big ones like loosing a job and small ones like screaming kids at the mall; they are pretty much unavoidable so what do we do when we can't change something?
Viktor Frankl says “When we can no longer change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” And the Buddha said the more we resist things as they are the more we suffer.
I dont think its possible to go through life without encountering something that triggers our upset or annoyance or challenges our sanity in one way or another. Its part of being human.
The real truth at the heart of life, as I mentioned earlier, is that we all deserve and are love and understanding. Something that makes us suffer is asking us to find our compassion, to remember that on a soul level we can grow through this experience and find love for ourselves and those around us. Circumstances change, things come to pass not to stay. The only lasting thing is our consciousness.
No matter if you are heading out to shop for Christmas or caring for someone with cancer, in whatever situation you find yourself pushed to your limits, remember it is in your power to practice compassion.
Soften your heart and speak gently to yourself. There is already enough stress in the world. No less than we would wish for ourselves, let us also wish the best for others. Try to find the best possible reason for a person's rudeness or seeming insensitive behavior. There is always room for more love in the world and you can be a channel for it this Holiday Season.
It is a wonderful opportunity to practice goodwill to all men.
And remember if you feel your goodwill toward men running low maybe its time to take yourself back to your sanctuary and make yourself a cup of hot chocolate as you congratulate yourself on your patience and your ability to change yourself instead of fighting the inevitable. How powerful you are!
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
Maria RobinsonWhen will we choose to live? When will we choose to be happy? When will we choose to be who we really wish to be? When will we dare to risk all for what we want? If not today then when?Can we afford to wait, will tomorrow come too soon and we find we have not lived the life we have imagined? I hope not. So many people are presently going through transitions of one kind or another as the economy changes and evolves. It's a time to evolve ourselves as well.This too shall pass. If you find yourself out of work, in dire straight, that's a good thing to remember. In the mean time its good to reassess what is most important to us, our values, our hopes and dreams and set a new course. Turn your eyes away from what you see around you and ask the inward questions. These answers are what will move you forward. Spirit desires your happiness and abundance, work with it. In this act of co-operation we are unstoppable. Doors open, grace steps in and for no reason you find yourself in another place looking back and wondering why you worried.Rising above the clouds we see the sun still shines and always shines even when we cannot see it. There is good and abundance and joy even if we momentarily cant see it. Why wait to express it, start today from where you are. Give yourself ten minutes of moping if you must and then do something productive, enjoyable, for fun! Do something for someone else. Call someone you haven't called in a long time. Move, do, be! Now! Life is too short and precious to waste a moment. “Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”
Ashley Smith
