What is the point of tragedies? Why must we endure them as humans? Is there a reason beyond the pain and suffering? Is there perhaps a deeper reason? Could it be to allow our souls to see things from a different perspective? To allow us to see things from a way we are just not accustomed to visiting during these busy times? Have we lost our way that we need these tragedies to welcome us back Home? Are we bringing these on ourselves for something bigger to be revealed within ourselves?

Could it be not only to endure anything that is placed before us, but also to learn and grow and see what immense strength we really do have within us? You might ask, why can’t we learn through joy and hope instead? Why must we be placed in such devastation to see our Truth and Light?

I believe right now we are programmed to listen with our ears and not our hearts. We are taught to see things from a lens that does not show us the Truth and our totality. We only see a sliver of what we are truly made of currently. We do not see the beauty within us that is patiently waiting to fully emerge and blossom.

These tragedies are the starting point: they are the lever that is being pushed so high and low, urging us to switch the Light on within us. We need this darkness to understand that the Light is waiting inside one of the corners to shine on the dark, to encompass it within, and to transform it into pure joy and beauty. This is how we learn and see our Truth: through the dark and the Light. Without one, the other does not exist. It is simply the way of opposites, duality, and of life. This is how we grow, fellow brothers and sisters: through seeing pain in one another and gaining compassion for one another and seeing how we are all really the same but just have different stories to tell and learn from one another.

Perhaps we can start listening and opening our hearts to form a bigger family of support and collaborations, rather than competitions and pinning ourselves against each other. We have work to do here – we have to find our Truths now. There are signs all around that this is a serious time of emergency, and I believe together we can heed this signal and listen from our hearts.

Let us use our intuitions and Spirits to guide us into the Light from within the dark. The treasure is in welcoming the dark, not avoiding it. The treasure is in the understanding and embracing of the dark. Let us feel it fully and allow it to take us to depths we have not ventured thus far, so we can emerge with greater understanding of our pain, and simultaneously, learn where our courage lies.

The way is the path we have been pushing away for so long – this is why we are where we are as a community. Let us try something new and break free from the shackles and allow our Light to shine brightly, as our grace-given right and duty.

Of course, none of this easy – this is extremely challenging and painful. But the more we resist it, the more we suffer. If we release and surrender to the inevitable pain and darkness within, the more we allow for this stuck energy to move and create room for the Light to flow through us again.

The way is following the energy and breathing through it all – take notice of where your breath begins and ends. Following the energy takes bravery that you very much have – it guides you to the most fearful places that you try to avoid at all costs. But it also leads you to the most freeing and joyful places if you continue to surrender to the energy even in the depths of the darkest places without letting the fear stop you. Use faith and trust as your companions on this extremely scary venture. Faith and trust that you will not eternally be doomed to this place of darkness; rather you will prevail, move through it, and come out of it forever changed.

We are not meant to be happy all the time, we are not meant to be successful all the time, we are not meant to be the best or richest or smartest all the time – we are meant to be authentic, we are meant to be vulnerable, we are meant to show up in each moment, we are meant to open our hearts and surrender to whatever we find there in the moment, we are meant to simply Be and to understand That is beyond good enough. Acceptance and non-judgment of ourselves as we Are act as our allies on our path of understanding and wholeness.

Tragedy can be our teacher – it is trying to allow us to see our greatness within our resilience, courage, compassion, kindness for one another, love for all, and coming together to help one another in these heart-breaking times. Tragedy is here to free us, not to annihilate us. It is our savior – let us bow and surrender to the pain and find our Light within the storm of our lives. Look within for the door to your Soul. Listen to your voice within to guide you and listen with your heart, not your ears.

We are here, not to survive, but to thrive against all odds. It is time for us to believe again. Believe with the deepest part of us that our story is not finishing – it is just beginning. And see the Light in you waiting to shine so brightly to pave the way and inspire the rest of us to embark on our own journey of pain and freedom. Believe and pray for guidance for your way back Home.

About the Author

Sheila passionately believes in everyone’s ability to open their hearts and heal their hurts in order to discover and share their Light. She follows this passion as a Psycho-Spiritual Therapist and Transpersonal Breathwork Facilitator in which she guides people on their journey of self-discovery. Learn more about her at www.lookingwithintherapy.com

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I am a good example of how a healthy person can get adversely affected by simply having an internal conflict between himself and his life. Briefly, there was a time when I seemingly had it all. A well paying job, a big house and all the other goodies that go along with focusing purely on the material aspects of life. If you took a snapshot of my life, you’d see a career man living high on life.

The truth however was just the opposite. In reality, I couldn’t stand my life. I hated every single dreaded moment of my job. I despised the shallowness of my miserable existence. I felt that I was living a life devoid of any purpose, meaning or happiness. What’s worst is that I saw no way to change any part of it. My house was over mortgaged, I was used to maintaining a lifestyle that only slaving 60 hours a week could support.

This internal conflict was literally making me sick. I was depressed, agitated and fatigued. I stopped taking care of myself and was actually trying to mistreat myself so as to find some tangible reason to stop what I was doing. Subconsciously, I wanted to be sick so I could get off of this roller coaster ride which was spiraling down and carrying me along with it. I was trapped with no seeming way out.

Getting out of bed became a chore. I slept most of the time when I wasn’t working or loathing. I had lost all desire for any external activities. It was work and sleep, work and sleep, over and over, just one long day that never seemed to end.

Every fiber in my body cried for salvation. It took much personal insight and retrospect to snap out of my self destructive life. To start rebuilding the life that I was meant to have. Consider this, as long as you stay out of balance with your true purpose, you will remain deeply dissatisfied with the direction your life is taking. This can manifest into fatigue, sickness and destructive behaviour.

If I can leave you with but only one message, let it be this: No matter how deeply you are involved in your lifestyle, no matter how difficult it seems to make any changes, you must take the necessary steps to save yourself. Life is a precious gift that can not be wasted on living in misery. Denying to yourself the true meaning of your life, can make you tired, sick and unhappy. You must open yourself up to your destiny and your potential.

Here is what you can do. Take an honest look at your life. Assess which parts of your life make you feel tired or depressed. These may be something fairly small, such as a particular part of your job description, or something very significant such as your career as a whole. These are all key issues. Once they’re isolated, you should experience some degree of relief simply by consciously understanding them.

The next step is to take action. It doesn’t have to be something drastic like quitting your job the next day and wandering the world with nothing but a backpack to your name. These could be small, consistent steps that will gradually correct your life’s direction. We all have responsibilities and commitments. We can not drop them overnight. It will take planning and sacrifice, but they can be incorporated into your life in a natural way to harmonize with your goals.

With each step that you take in the right direction, you will experience emotional discharge, confirming that you’re on the right path. Daily planning of the life you want, will also give you satisfaction of accomplishment, purpose, and yes, energy. Changing the direction of your life isn’t easy. It’s filled with events that will challenge you and your resolve. It requires vision and dedication. Most of all it requires the desire to grow and evolve as a human being. But isn’t that what it’s all about?

Live well. Vlad

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What’s most important about Yoda’s statement is that he describes a vicious cycle. He warns us that if we’re not careful, we may find ourselves indefinitely trapped in this cycle. No matter at which point of the cycle you get on, it will take you through the rest of the emotional cycle without fail. It is up to each one of us to break the chains and escape the trap.

Fear

We associate fear with the unknown and the unpredictable. We are afraid of what we do not understand because it makes us feel helpless and threatened. Making us feel that our very survival is in jeopardy. Being helpless and threatened frustrates us. It puts us on guard, forcing us to exhibit aggressive behavior. Frustration draws us to anger.

Anger

Anger comes from feeling threatened, out of control. It’s a powerful emotion. Anger is a strong burst of negative energy, which engulfs everyone involved. Anger is often blind and unreasonable. But the state of anger can not be sustained indefinitely. It doesn’t take long until it takes its passive form. That’s when it turns to hate.

Hatred

Hatred alienates us from each other. Continued hatred literally hurts the hater more than the hated. Not only does hate alienate us from the subject of our hate, but also disconnects us from all forms of love. The heart is only capable of one powerful emotion. When it’s dark with hatred, it closes in on itself. It is no longer capable of fully opening up to embrace love of any kind.

Suffering

The withdrawal from love causes the suffering. Suffering takes many forms, many of which are self induced. Lot’s of other damaging emotions come into play. Unforgiveness, regret, discontent, resentment and apathy. Whether physical, emotional or psychological, the state of suffering is a dark place to be. Suffering places us back to the unknown, thus reverting to fear. The cycle continues.

Enlightenment

But not all is lost. I must complete the above list with one more state. That of enlightenment. That’s right, suffering can, and does lead us to enlightenment. This is a Buddhist proverb from right here on Earth. The only way to get out of suffering is to allow yourself to fully experience it. Meaning you must fully embrace and accept your experience, no matter how painful or unpleasant in order to render it harmless.

In addition, by applying lot’s of love, forgiveness, understanding and compassion, we create the antidote to the vicious cycle. By giving up the illusion of control, we open ourselves up to unlimited possibilities. With forgiveness we open up our hearts and attract positive, healing emotions. The cycle therefore breaks and sets us free.

In Conclusion

You don’t have to be a Jedi master to follow these teachings. Follow them if you choose to be happy in your life. Eliminate the negative influences and emotions from life and witness this ancient principle work its magic. One more thing, enlightenment leads us to finding our purpose and gives meaning to life. Be it right here, or far far away.

Live well. Vlad

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I always used to say I was a ‘Type A’ personality. Hey, it was the reason why I never had time to travel, fall in love, start a family, hang out with friends or even relax and watch an entire movie at once. It simply would go completely against the grain and wouldn’t feel natural to take time away from work.

And my work was never ending. Along with a full time job, I always had another project on the go. Whether it was writing a book, going to college, volunteering or one of the many other tasks I felt needed my attention, I didn’t have time for a life. With all that and my daily workout, I fell to bed in exhaustion every night – then started it all over again.

Then I had the bright idea to move. I wasn’t happy so obviously the solution was to start over somewhere new. I had all these illusions that I would finally have the life I wanted in a new city. All my hard work would pay off and things would fall into place.

Didn’t quite work out that way.

I moved from the east to west coast, to an unfamiliar city – with nothing. I had to find a new job, adjust to public transportation for the first time and attempt to make friends. I was completely out of my element and started to fall in a depression.

As months went by, things didn’t improve. I was increasingly unhappy. Suddenly I didn’t want to be busy all the time. I didn’t even want to get out of bed in the morning. I stopped working out, almost completely stopped writing and had no social life. I was lonely and depressed. I continually tried to rise above it but a year after the move, things really fell apart.

As it turns out, all the years of being busy was simply a way to avoid personal growth and dealing with all my real issues in my life. Just like snowflakes in a blizzard, the problems started off slowly and seemed harmless until suddenly a wallop knocked me off my feet. I was depressed first thing every morning and sometimes had to hide my face at work because I felt tears forming in my eyes. I hated my life. I hated myself. I didn’t want to live. I felt alone and unable to cope.

Misery was crippling me and insisted it will not get better. Why would it? I wasn’t getting any younger or prettier, my books weren’t best sellers, I was behind on my bills and I was truly alone. Checking out Facebook and I’d see how happy everyone else is – wedding and baby announcements, photos from vacations, new homes – the world was living in ‘happy land’ and I was stuck here.

However when I felt desperate for help and searched, it quickly appeared. One friend introduced me to religion and although I am not associated with a church, it gave me a sense of spirituality. I would often go to the library and magically find the exact book that addressed the specific issue wearing on my heart at that time. Online blogs, free ebooks, even television programs and movies – it just seemed like I was finding the information as I needed it and slowly, the layers of my depression started to melt away.

Not that I am out of the woods yet but I am seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. Through my journey, I discovered that my biggest enemy was actually my thought process.

Something bad would happen and I would automatically think, ‘Great, here is the dark cloud that always follows me around, back again!’ I felt I was jinxed and cursed. I felt powerless in my own life. I felt disliked by others and like I never quite ‘fit in’. But then someone told me some powerful information that really stuck with me – these negative thoughts are actually the voice of depression – not intuition.

I remind myself that depression is quite powerful, and it working against me. It is attempting to extinguish my happiness. So why was I clinging onto it like a friend?

Everything isn’t always going to be like this. I don’t have a dark cloud hanging over me. I am not jinxed. Everyone doesn’t hate me. I won’t always be alone.

It’s funny how slowly changing my thought process has also changed my life. It isn’t 100% perfect and I still have days when I don’t want to get out of bed, but I keep working at it and slowly, I see differences in my life. It’s about changing your habits and changing your thoughts.

And I now realize that life requires balance to work. Even Type A personalities require a break, once in awhile.

About the Author

Mima is the author of Fire, a fictitious novel that takes place in the middle of the 90s music scene. The prequel, A Spark before the Fire was released in October 2011. The pen name Mima is derived from the initials of the writer’s name. She started writing during her childhood on Prince Edward Island, Canada. In the future, she hopes to write a screenplay for this novel. You can find Mima at mimaonfire.com and on Facebook. Mima currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

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I grew up in a home where the scientific and matter-of-fact world view was the one most prevalent. My father, a general physician, and my mother, a pharmacist, were quite sceptic of everything that didn’t involve tangible matters and logic outcomes.

As nature goes, I adopted a lot of their beliefs at a young age and stuck with it for most of my life as a young adult. When I moved to a different country, went into treatment for a deathly eating disorder and exercise addiction, I was forced to build an entirely new mindset and spiritual world, one that came from a deep understanding of myself and my inner ongoings.

This is how I stumbled into my first yoga practice and instantly fell in love with the holistic approach of this wonderful form of exercise.

The more I learned about yoga, the more interested I became in expanding my mental capacity by adding a daily meditation to my life.

However, there was one major barrier I had to overcome: my stigma of those who meditate, who to me where people following a hype and trying to be cool and alternative. I knew that meditation is an ancient Asian practice, but for reasons beyond my comprehension I hesitated to let go of this preconceived opinion.

Yet as the ongoing recovery from anorexia ravaged my inner world, my heart was yearning for a daily session of awareness, grounding, self-appreciation and a space to just be, which is essentially what meditation is all about.

The Benefits of Meditation

• When I finally dived into the practice of letting go, it didn’t take long to see the amazing benefits of it.
• Meditation can unleash your inner strength.
• Meditation lets you breathe again on a level as deep as you’ve hardly experienced before.
• Meditation calms your nerves and allows the mind to have a genuine, loving conversation with itself giving your inner child a place to heal.
• Meditation opens you up to new ideas, new ways of experiencing life and gives you room to grow, transform and evolve.
• Meditation gives you the unique chance to discover the real you and lets you reconnect with your innermost values, thoughts and dreams.
• Meditation helps you reduce all the clutter, all the noise and all the unnecessary distractions from your busy lifestyle.
• But meditation also lets you forget about the daily troubles, the tormenting stream of thoughts and the physical constraints of your body.
• Meditation, if practiced regularly impacts every part of your life and empowers you to have a whole new approach to self-love, work and relationships.
• I couldn’t imagine my life without this wonderful practice anymore, which is why I am thrilled to share a few tips on how you can implement a daily meditation habit in your (no doubt very busy) life.

How to Get Started

At the studio I took yoga lessons, I noticed they also offered guided meditations. I went back and forth in my mind whether I should give one of those classes a try or venture out on my own adventure. I decided against joining a group because I felt deep down that the intimacy of being in such a vulnerable state was better done alone.

However, if you feel like you need some extra guidance in the beginning, then there are plenty of resources on- and offline that you can take advantage from.

The basics of both approaches to meditating are essentially the same, which is why I’ll focus on self-practice today.

Find Your Perfect Time

The most essential part of building a new habit is incorporating it regularly into your schedule. For me, the perfect time for self-reflection is right after I wake up. At this point my mind is still uncluttered with all the information that you’re bombarded with during the day and all the task you have to cross off your humongous to-do list.

The Length

A question I get asked quite often is how long one should meditate. My answer? As long as you’d like. The beautiful thing about meditation is that there is no right or wrong. Everybody experiences the time of being in the here and now differently. You can start with five minutes and work your way up to half an hour. Or you can stick to a 10-minute routine. Whatever suits you best, whatever your body tells you to do is the right thing for you.

The Place

The best place to practice meditation is somewhere you feel safe, comfortable and warm. Sit on a cushion and make it as cozy as comfortable in order to not have any distractive thoughts creep in your mind because your leg went numb or your buttocks hurt. Remember, this is all about you doing inner work. It’s not about competing with the old yogis who sat on the hard ground without moving for days. We don’t have to make it harder on us as it already is.

The Posture

Having the right posture is important to not only let the energy flow through your body, but also to help you breathe more effectively and deeply. Put your hands on your lap or your knees and sit up straight. You’ll immediately notice a sense of empowerment as well as relaxation.

Breathing

The most important part of this entire exercise is to breathe consciously. Not only does your focus on inhalation and exhalation keep your mind from all the distractive thoughts that are competing to occupy your mind, but it is an essential element in calming your nerves and oxidizing your brain.

The Meditating Itself

Now, while your sitting there in your living room, you bedroom or maybe even in your garden, what are you supposed to do?

Be.

Of course, you can give yourself special “assignments” like trying to find alternative ways to go about a project or trying to channel your energy in order to make it through an extremely busy day. But I find that especially at the beginning, the act of simply sitting there not trying to think of anything specific and instead focusing on your breathing is the most rewarding and nurturing way of self-reflection.

Be gentle with yourself and be very, very patient. Meditation takes practice and the results may not come over night. If you can’t shake certain thoughts, then accept them as they are. Invite them lovingly, without giving them the power to frustrate you.

Meditation is a powerful way of being in tune with your body, mind and spirit. It’s not a competition with yourself, but a way to a loving and caring relationship that will ultimately fulfill you with a peace you’ve never felt before. I know because I was able to get healthy with the help of this simple habit.

Have you any experience with meditation? Which benefits have you experienced in your life?

About the Author

Anne – Sophie Reinhardt is a world traveler, an anorexia survivor, a positive body image advocate, podcaster, blogger, digital entrepreneur, speaker, wive, lover of books, aspiring yogi and social media enthusiast. Her blogs My Intercontinental Life and Fighting Anorexia are focused on living a purposeful, free, healthy and passionate life.

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The diagnosis of any illness, chronic, acute, or terminal, is a devastating, life-altering, earth-shattering, monumental moment in the life of the diagnosed individual, impacting all areas, including but not limited to vocation, social relationships, self-care, and recreational pursuits.

A devastating diagnosis challenges and often shatters world views and belief systems leaving the individual feeling confused, unsupported and out of control, questioning faith and facing his/her own mortality.

When I was told I had a “progressive and incurable” neurological disease at the age of twenty three, the diagnoses tore through my life like a category five hurricane toting 100+ mph winds, uprooting and ripping through every shred of hope and normalcy I had for my barely realized future and leaving me to feel fragile and exposed.

I hunkered down and gratefully made it through the eye of the illness storm, admittedly still in several pieces with the reconstruction of my life slowly beginning to take place despite the devastating destruction.

As I look back on my journey from the start to where I am sitting today, nestled comfortably (for the most part) in acceptance, one of the most important tools I used (and still use today) is that of “meaning making,” a transformative process where the individual finds explanations for and benefits from tragedy.

Meaning making allows for resiliency to be cultivated and hope to be restored as the diagnosed individual becomes the author of his/her own story as a dynamic, multi-faceted person living with a disease but not defined or controlled by it. The illness becomes a small but important piece of the life narrative and not the entire narrative, allowing for depth of character, pride, dignity, joy, and achievement despite the multiple losses, challenges, and disappointments often associated with the condition.

Asking “why” when a tragedy or trauma occurs and searching for acceptable answers are natural and normal responses to astronomical shifts in our lives. Sometimes, there are no tangible, scientifically observed and proven answers, and this is when meaning making can be especially helpful.

For me, I came to the conclusion that this illness occurred because it was necessary that I learn how to live well, discover my passions, gain direction, and learn how to serve the larger community instead of focusing on my own selfish desires.

Not only have I gained from this condition, but I truly believe the world has also and will continue to gain from it, as well. When the days become difficult, that is what I whisper to myself just before a meltdown occurs and my life begins to take form and purpose once again.

I’m not quite sure if meaning making comes before acceptance or acceptance before meaning making. It’s the classic “chicken or the egg” debate that includes viable and persuasive explanations on both sides of the argument.

Perhaps, meaning making and acceptance happen simultaneously, each one clearing space for the other to exist as life rafts rescuing hope, determination, and happiness from drifting out toward the horizon and just outside of our grasps. Either way, the future is much less daunting and the present is much more comfortable when they are surrounded by much more meaning.

About the Author

Maria Mooney, MSW, LSW, is a licensed social worker, high raw vegan blogger diagnosed with and healing from a progressive neurological disease, RSD/CRPS. She enjoys reading, writing, yoga, the sport of long distance running, spending time in nature, and being with her loved ones, especially her Goldendoodle, Shorter. You can find her on Twitter @HappyHealing44 and follow her at her blog prefontaine44.blogspot.com.

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I remember when life was much simpler. It was before the Internet, cell phones, iPads, iPods, smart phones, etc. were such a fixture in our lives. I remember getting AOL for the first time and not being allowed to use it when I got home from school because when you went online the phone wouldn’t work.

Now look at our culture. Even little kids have iPhones. We are constantly Googling, going on Facebook and people are using technological devices simultaneously and constantly. Technology is a great thing and it helps us work more effectively and provides an unlimited outlet for entertainment. Yet how does that affect our relationships with others and the world?

You see it at restaurants or other public places all the time. People enjoying a nice dinner, yet both of them are texting or emailing on their smart phones and not even talking. They are wasting this precious time they have together. At the movie theater there are more and more announcements and commercials reminding people to turn off their phones and enjoy the movie. Why do we even need these reminders? If I am paying to see a movie and I want to enjoy it, why would I text or call someone else and chat the entire time?

So I challenge you to take the challenge of unplugging yourself from time to time. For example, at dinner time, turn off your cell phone, take a step away from your computer and iPad and allow yourself to enjoy the conversation of your loved ones. Take the time to chew your food and appreciate the food you’re eating.

Once you’ve mastered a dinner free of technology, move forward and experiment with this task even more. Schedule times or even days when you take breaks from the endless technological devices you use. Feel yourself relish in the simple hours of living in the moment and not worrying about that next email, if your Facebook post got any comments or not, or if anyone new is following you on Twitter. Take this time to spend time with friends and family, enjoying hobbies without interruption or simply relax and meditate.

Once you’ve made unplugging yourself a priority, keep track of how it makes you feel. At first, it will probably make you feel disconnected and even frazzled and anxious. You have to remember that you can check your email and catch up with Facebook later and it will be okay. The more you participate in unplugging, the more in tune with your world you will feel.

You will be able to enjoy a conversation with a friend and really listen to what they’re saying. You will be happy to walk in nature without glancing away to look at a glowing screen every few seconds. You won’t have to worry about missing something in your real life because you’re too concerned with your life on the Internet.

The Internet and technology is a wonderful thing that should be used in moderation. I promise you’ll feel more mindful and happy if you schedule times to unplug. The technologies will always be waiting for you when you need to use it again.

About the Author

Lauren Stewart is a freelance writer and marketing consultant from Michigan. She has a personal blog called Lauren’s Thoughts where she discusses relationships, technology, beauty, fashion, health, fitness and much more. You can also find her active on Twitter and Facebook.

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When a child gets bullied, what does he or she learn? When a child hears “not now”, “just shut-up”, “you are so irritating”, what does he or she learn? When an adult gets verbally, emotionally, or physically abused, what do they learn? Simply said, they learn ‘I am not worthy’, ‘I am not good enough’, and ‘there must be no love within me’.

Why do we do these things to the people we say we love the most? Why is there so much hurt and hate within us and around us? Where did we lose our way? When did kindness start becoming the aberration in our daily life? Something does not seem right with this picture…

It is time now to change, to shift, to look within for our truth and original goodness. We must find our way back to wanting to help and to see ourselves within one another, otherwise we will lose ourselves….both individually and collectively.

Recently, I hear many people telling me that they are staying in relationships that are harming them for hope things will work out and because they need to believe and have faith in ‘true love’. Blind hope and faith are not the road to healing, growth, and love – it depends what the hope and faith are in.

Hope in destruction and dysfunction is only giving more energy to what is less than our potential. We must find hope in our Light and our strength to lead us to our true nature and divinity. We have to be conscious and full of care in what we put our hope and faith in – let us begin to have Faith in our power and beauty in this moment rather than Faith in the circumstances that seem to rob us of our Light and essence.

If we continue with our eyes fogged and our hearts closed, we will teach our children to continue to give themselves up and believe they are not worthy and not good enough and there is no love within them. In this way, we create the path and foundation for our future of humanity to have hope and faith in our shadow and our darkness.

Is there a way to unwind the already twisted road we are on? Of course, we always have a way to find our way back – that’s the beauty of this thing called Life.

When you least expect it, the dark horse which seemed he would never win the race, bolts past the rest of the group as if he just finally saw himself in his truest essence for the first time and now understands he can and is the winner of this race. We can be that dark horse together. We can come back and see ourselves in our truest essences and use this united love to shine.

So, are we all living in complete darkness right now? Of course not – there seems to already be a major shift towards a kind and loving present future, but I don’t think the shift will be enough by itself. We need to start taking individual responsibility for our part in this overall wholeness. I think we all need to somehow find a way to ride this wave and become one with it.

As Gandhi once said, “As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world, as in being able to remake ourselves.“

How do we do that? Simple yet not easy – we need to find the part of that wave that lives inside of us first, and I honestly believe it is in each one of us. But, we are not going to discover it where our greed and jealousy lie, not where our insatiable desires lie, and definitely not where our false sense of selves lie; rather, it’s where our calling and purpose lie, it’s where our sense of spirituality lies, it’s where our kindness and open heart resides.

We must bravely face our darkness and shadows as opposed to continuing to allow them to unconsciously lead our lives. We can use the Light of our true self to shine upon our truth and learn to surrender to its guidance.

If we begin to uncover this wave of power within, the collective wave will only grow stronger and stronger with complete abandon. We will begin to understand how we are already finding our way back to our original goodness and love throughout this unfolding of our truth.

We will no longer have to make excuses for our pain and circumstances – we will no longer have to think about gratitude and kindness as being things we check off our list of things to do. Instead, they will be effortlessly flowing from us because we will have seen how we are all a reflection of each other and how we all live within one another.

Let us begin to live with hope and faith in compassion, kindness, and loving connection. Let us teach ourselves and our children “we are worthy”, “we are good enough”, and “there is an abundance of love within us”. Let us build our present future with our eyes clear and our hearts open.

About the Author

Sheila passionately believes in everyone’s ability to open their hearts and heal their hurts in order to discover and share their Light. She follows this passion as a psycho-spiritual therapist and wishes to help people on their journey of self-discovery. Learn more about her at www.lookingwithintherapy.com

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I caught myself making a lot of “if only” statements. If only I had more money, if only I had more time, if only my life wasn’t so stressful, if only things went my way. If only this, if only that… With my preoccupation with “if only”, I lost track of the higher understanding which can actually resolve these issues.

The Infinite brings you exactly what you need at the time you need it. You are only given challenges that you are able to handle. Not only do you need to accept these challenges, but to realize that you are given them for your spiritual growth. If you can only accept this fact, you will be able to better handle them, and evolve on your journey.

It’s also important to realize that you are not alone in your predicament. Virtually everyone around you makes the same statements and has the same problems. Understanding this, will make you feel more connected, giving and supportive to others.

Accept What Happens

Unexpected things will happen. It’s inevitable. Times change, relationships can end, jobs can be lost and plans can go astray. Instead of rejecting or trying to avoid these changes, welcome them. This way when they happen, you will not be at a disadvantage.

This is a part of the human experience. It’s a never ending cycle of perceived good and bad. How much you become emotionally entangled in it, is up to you. But if you can accept this reality, you will learn to maintain a state of peace. You will not overreact, or get hurt by the experience. In fact, you will learn and grow as the result.

Separate Yourself

The challenges are coming to you from the Higher Power. It’s enormously helpful to separate yourself from the results of your actions. We do the right things, but we have no real control over the outcome. The results will occur the way they were meant to occur.

This may not be what you’ve been told growing up. And while there are undeniable forces of cause and effect, the process has less to do with your direct actions and expectations, and more with your destiny and the universal laws of karma.

Stop Fighting

The mistake I made, was to assign value to my plan based exclusively on my personal desires. When things didn’t go as planned, my expectations and ego got bruised, causing suffering. I could have easily continued to rebel against my destiny, fighting it to exhaustion. Instead, I tried to be flexible and apply the above principles.

You can spend a lifetime fighting and wrestling with your demons. But what you get in return, is a lifetime of wrestling demons. Stop the “if only’s” and “what if’s”. Let go of the demons and practice living your life from a higher perspective.

In Conclusion

I continue to work on accepting my destiny, which isn’t always the way I want it to be. I try to remember that everything comes from the Infinite. This helps me to see it in a positive light, devoid of my personal expectations and ego. This doesn’t make my life less challenging, but one that’s more mindful and peaceful, and less dramatic.

Live well. Vlad

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Everyone has a past. Not every past is a rosy memory. The past can hold a considerable amount of anger and hurt. But if you let it, it will rob you of the beauty and significance of your life in the present. If you have feelings of pain, regret and anger stemming from the past, they must be resolved before you can truly move forward.

Live in the Present

Living in the present takes courage. The present is not always what you would like it to be. But consider this, any positive change that you want to make, can only be made at this very moment. The past is gone, and the future hasn’t gotten here yet.

Ask yourself this, what can you do today, right now, to make your life better? How can you improve the condition of your present? Don’t allow your past distract you from what needs to be done today. If you feel yourself slipping back into the past, gently acknowledge it, and bring yourself into the present.

Understand Your Role

Take an unbiased look at your past. Learn to understand the role you played in it. Assume accountability for anything that you may have been partially liable for. It’s a liberating experience, to acknowledge any responsibility that you had in life. You can learn much from the past, if you just take an honest look at it.

As you’re letting go of the past, give it credit for being a good teacher. There is a saying – without the past, there would be no future. While it’s important to let the past remain in the past, it is no less important to understand and learn from it. Apply what you’ve learned to the present, to avoid the old mistakes, while reinforcing the correct action.

Learn to Forgive

You can not change your past. But you can change your attitude to it. Whatever painful memories you may have associated with it, practice forgiveness to set yourself free. When you have forgiven those who have harmed you, you are releasing the negative energy associated with those memories.

In essence, it is yourself that you’re helping through the process of forgiveness. Forgiving someone, does not obligate you to love or even like them. It’s a cleansing experience for your own emotional well being. Forgiveness doesn’t come easy. But the results will benefit you for a lifetime.

Develop Compassion

If you are resisting forging someone, try putting yourself in their position. You will find that in most cases, people are motivated by their own fears and insecurities. And whatever they have done, may have been carried out of a misunderstanding or an instinct for self preservation.

When you look at a situation from that angle, you may find that it becomes easier to develop compassion toward that person. Again, being compassionate does not mean agreeing or supporting wrong behavior. It is about developing higher understanding of the situation.

Embrace the Change

It has been said that we die, and become reborn in every moment. This rebirth process occurs on such an ethereal level, that most of us are unaware of it. Nevertheless, change is a fact of life and can not be denied. It’s a universal law that manifests itself in everything we do.

Rather than trying to avoid this change, practice embracing it. Try to look at it in this way; each new moment holds new, unlimited possibilities. It’s a positive process that you can harness to achieve whatever you want in life.

In Conclusion

The past and the future do not exist. They are a mere illusion. What is real however is the present. Take advantage of each moment by learning how to be fully present in it. If you can fully emerge yourself in the now, you will naturally let go of your past, and stop worrying about your future. Enjoy!

Live well. Vlad

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