Life challenges

Life Becomes

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Life becomes much more challenging when we do not question our beliefs, become aware of our conditioning, and notice the judgments we make daily. By bringing more awareness to our thoughts and actions, we can see their impact on our lives and relationships. By continuing to use awareness, we can begin to see the concepts created within us by them. When we fail to do this, we will always wonder, isn’t there more to life than this?

You may think this is a daunting task or that you do not know how to do it. Thoughts like these keep you stuck, and they are not true. Remember, it is as simple as bringing more awareness to your thoughts and actions rather than unconsciously going through your day without paying attention. Therefore, attention and awareness are two of your greatest allies to living a happier and more fulfilled life.

Navigating the Contradiction of Life

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The truth is if you take yourself with all your difficulties, pain, anxiety, and suffering to the park one day, you might be surprised to see how much joy abounds there in others.

Your mind will say, but they do not have my problems. And while you listen to your mind tell you this, your anxiety increases, and you begin to suffer even more. You ask yourself, why can’t I experience joy like that? Well, you can if you stop listening to the mind as an all-knowing source. 

If you only concentrate on your pain, that is all you will find. Try concentrating on what feels good. Sometimes even noticing a slight difference can change your outlook. For instance, when you are in physical pain, a slight deviation from level 10 to level 8 is a difference in the right direction, even if only temporary. However, we often overlook this difference and see things as the same even though they have changed. Once you notice these differences, you can find hope again and start moving your attention in a new direction.

Do not forget life is a contradiction. Look at any moment, and with a bit of clarity, you can see that all “states of being” exist simultaneously in this world. Even if you feel you are only experiencing part of them, that does not mean the others do not exist. You can redirect your attention toward something different at any moment in your life.

Now I am not saying that you should not feel your feelings or that you should not look at the truth of your life. You can do that and at the same time direct your attention towards that which brings you joy.

Never forget to lean into your blessings no matter how small they seem. The fact that you are alive and able to watch the sunrise and set is a wondrous gift, even if your mind says otherwise.

Have you forgotten this amid your difficulties, pain, anxiety, and suffering? 

I guarantee you that no matter how much your mind tells you that you have the right to suffer or complain, you also have every right to feel joy. You do not have to believe everything your mind says to you. I can assure you that it is constantly lying about or exaggerating your circumstances. Therefore, when the pain in your body or life speaks up loudly, or some person says something that causes you frustration or anger, witness what your mind starts telling you first. Notice that it tells you how bad things are or how wrong that person is. And then, instead of taking up a conversation in agreement with it, look deeper within. Remember that you have the power to redirect your attention and begin to focus that attention on what feels good or brings you joy. Perhaps you feel that is too much at first, but I am sure that thought came from your mind and is not the truth. Find the smallest of cracks because “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” ― Leonard Cohen. 

Freedom

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Life does not come without challenges, and when we lean into them, we find our greatest teacher. These experiences are not meant to make us small, but allow us to reconnect with our True-Self, to be present with life as it is, and to live fully.

The mind thinks the perfect life is one without problems, and when we think this way we become lost, poor me. The wise person faces his or her problems eyes open, asking for help when needed, knowing that within the pain is an opportunity that will allow them to grow.

Therefore the next time you are faced with a challenge remember there is an opportunity hidden somewhere in the darkness. When you shine the light of awareness on it, your suffering will morph into gratitude. Your pain will melt away, and like the phoenix rising from the ashes, you will be born again.

Maintaining Peace in Difficult times

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Eventually, on the path of awakening, you will recognize that obstacles are part of the journey. Living a peaceful or even perfect life is not about avoiding or never experiencing them.

The perfect life you seek, the one without problems and challenges does not exist. Your thoughts of perfection have misled you. Your social conditioning taught you to believe that a perfect life should not include issues or difficulties. This unattainable thought will only lead you to experience discomfort in your life each time something shows up that you perceive is not perfect.

The obstacles you encounter should not rob you of your peace, but offer you the opportunity to become grounded in your oneness with the Divine. If they rob you of your contentment, then you are not experiencing them with awareness. Because the moment you bring the light of awareness and acceptance to any obstacle, the darkness can no longer hurt you and the peace that is always available to you will once again be felt.

Therefore, the next time you experience a problem, pay attention to your thoughts and you will see that they fill you with resistance and bring suffering. You can now use this newfound recognition to choose not to follow their direction. Let these misguided and unhelpful thoughts go and know that whatever you are facing you will be okay. Trust in your Divine nature, ask for the help if you need it and continue to pay attention to your thoughts, especially when you feel discomfort.

Free Yourself from Pain and Suffering

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Pain and suffering do not come from letting go; they arise out of fear and our inability to be present in the moment. We are resisting what is, and trying to avoid feeling our pain. By doing this, we mistakenly think we will suffer less or not at all when in truth the opposite becomes our reality. This resistance is automatic and originates out of our conditioning. When we acknowledge and embrace our pain and suffering, and we bring our attention back to the present moment, we have the opportunity to release whatever is causing our discomfort.

We can recognize what this moment looks like because we become sick and tired of being sick and tired. At that very moment, we step back into the present moment with the truth of what we are feeling, and this is when the door to infinite possibilities opens up, and healing becomes possible. We now have a choice to step through the door or close it by falling back into resistance. Do not worry if you close the door, even more than once because the opportunity will always come up again.

Remember that as long as you stay in resistance, you will continue to experience pain and suffering. Your willingness to be present with your painful feelings needs to be greater than your fear of stepping through the door. Through the experience of this process, you can build a strong foundation of trust and faith something greater than yourself or in the realization of how the universe works energetically.

When we are willing to feel our feelings and be present in the moment with them and the truth of what is happening, life presents us the opportunity to let our pain and suffering go and experience joy again. This may occur instantly or over a period as it becomes clear that you must let the energy go. The next time you feel lost in your pain and suffering, know that the door to healing is open and waiting for you to walk through it and to the other side, where joy and peace are waiting for you.

Finding Lasting Happiness

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The problem is not the problem. This simple, yet truthful statement opens the door to radical change. Yes, we THINK the problem or obstacle is the issue, but it is not.

Can you let go of your problems and all the things you THINK you have to do or get to be happy long enough to see the real issue? If you can, then you can find your happiness right where it has always been patiently waiting for you. Happiness is your birthright, it is a natural part of who you are, and your problems never keep you from being happy. Why, because when you connect with authentic happiness, you know that nothing outside of you can keep you from feeling it. The only thing that does is your resistance to what is, caused by old beliefs, perceptions, and thoughts.

Awareness is the key to releasing these old beliefs and perceptions, which leads to transforming your life. Paying attention to your thoughts and actions will allow you to notice these patterns of behavior. This sounds simple, and it is, yet there are times when it becomes challenging. Our thoughts are masters at distracting us.

You must have a clear and unbending intention, be vigilant in your quest and continue to let your thoughts go and reframe them each time they show you one of these old beliefs or perceptions.

With continued effort on your part, you cannot fail because who you genuinely are lies beneath your conditioned-self, you know the person you have become because of those old beliefs and perceptions. Be patient, aware and awake because this will always bring you closer to your real self and the happiness that resides there.

Awareness

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“With awareness, we awaken to cure what is not meant to be endured and endure what cannot be cured, and from this place, we live in the moment, where suffering is optional.”

I am Exhausted, Debate, Debate, Debate

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Don’t you think it is about time that we stop holding our personal beliefs so tightly that nothing ever is done? Don’t you think it is about time that we get honest with ourselves and do what is right for our kids, future generations, and the world? Don’t you think it is about time we realize that there is no one answer and this issue must be addressed from multiple sides?

Do you think you know what I am talking about? Well, guess again because this is not just about guns. You are you so fixated on your side of any issue that you cannot see what needs to be done. Whether we are talking about guns, mental health, abortion, teen pregnancy, climate change or any other hot topic, we need to stop doing what we are doing now because it is not working.

What will work is a balanced approach that neither side will be thrilled with; however, from this place lives will be helped and saved. We must stop putting the issues and our beliefs first and put the human being that needs our help and love first, not the other way around.

Stop telling other people they are wrong. Telling other people they are wrong only makes them hold to their beliefs even tighter. It does not give them the space to think or to use common sense.

Everyone must first look into their hearts and do what is right even when it goes against their beliefs. We must all take a searching, and fearless moral inventory of ourselves and not someone else’s for them.

We must do what is morally right and compassionate. We must do what is right for the people who are suffering and dying, and we must be willing to let go of our desire to get what we want for the sake of the other person.

Freedom is not found in mere activity, but by taking an honest look at ourselves, our lives and then finding a way to be of service to those around us.

Even if something is written in the bible, spiritual text, constitution or law, we must be willing to revisit it, to contemplate it and make sure that it still makes sense in today’s world. Things change, and we must be willing to change with them, or we will continue to suffer from our stubbornness to keep things the same. Besides, in truth you cannot, just look at history.

When we dare to look within, begin living from our hearts and not our repetitive and fixed thoughts alone, do what is right for the other person, and let go of our self-centered desires, things will begin to get better. Otherwise, we will be stuck in this cycle of debate for years. Besides, things will change anyway, so the choice is, do we want things to change now or should we wait until we are forced to change?

 

 

 

Insights to Releasing Obstacles

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You cannot completely resolve any difficult obstacle in your life without feeling all the emotions associated with that event. They must be fully felt and then released. Otherwise, the leftover energy of the unprocessed emotions will be stored in your body. When this energy is strong enough, it will influence your choices and behaviors in life, and it can even begin to affect your health. Sometimes you can see these influences, but usually, it happens below your level of awareness, unless you are paying attention.

Remember that your thoughts can fool you into thinking that you have worked through everything. However, if you did not, this residual emotional energy will reinsert itself back into your life through your thoughts and actions. This is why paying attention and being aware of your thoughts and actions is so important. Through this attention, it will be revealed to you if you have more emotion or energy to release. Know that you cannot be fooled by your thoughts if you watch them without attachment.

The Seed of Possibility

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If you want your life to flourish again, you must begin to see that buried in your problems is the seed of possibility. When you begin to focus on this new possibility and not spending all your time thinking about the problem, something new begins to grow and everything starts to change. It has taken me a long time to learn this, but it always rings true. I have been through many dark times in my life, emotionally and physically. Until I started to look for something positive to come out of my problems I only fell deeper into suffering, deeper into pain. Once I learned this valuable lesson and began to focus on looking for the possibility instead of living in the problem, things began to shift. Teach yourself to look for possibility even in the most difficult times.

Remember, the obstacle itself will always lead you out of the darkness and into the light to new possibilities –look for the seed of creative energy that is always buried in the depths of your problems.