Life is a balance. Good cannot exist without evil, rich without
poor, light without dark. To help us appreciate the beautiful
aspects of life, we must experience hardships to fully understand the
difference. We would never know what light was if there was no
darkness to compare it to. Bad things happen either through direct consequences of our
actions, or through devastatingly random events, and when they do the
universal question we all ask is,
"Why me? Why do bad things happen to me?”
Sometimes people suffer to learn a valuable life lesson, something
that could not have been taught except through burden. Most often we
suffer as an example to others. Sometimes our misfortune helps them
recognize life lessons in their own life. A child with terminal cancer may
have nothing to learn or gain from the experience, but that same
child may teach others about compassion, love, acceptance and letting
go. Suffering guides us through life so we can value joy
and grow from our troubles.
Do not, for one second, think that we are alone in our suffering. It is often said, "do not wish
to trade your burdens with others because you will find theirs a
heavier load.” Trust that God will not give us more that we can
handle. He knows our capabilities and guides us through our misery
with love and compassion. Let us not forget that he cares for us,
and wants us to succeed. Our suffering is only made worse
through denial of God and his love. Reach out and allow him to help
us see through the dark, to find, in each of us, our light.
Suffering also breeds compassion. When you know what it is like
to suffer in some way, you recognize it in others and in turn begin
to help them through their sorrow. Would any of us help others if
none of us knew compassion?
Do not give power to your difficulties by focusing on them. Do
not feed the cycle by returning it on others. Do not forget to see
the joy in life even when faced with adversity. Many are consumed
with negativity and never grow from their pain. Try to learn from
what is happening so you do not get sucked a consuming mentality of darkness. According to the balance, something good must always
come from something bad. Faith in that truth eases the bitterness of
sorrow and of anger. Keep your face to the light.
Suffering is a part of our world and has a unique purpose in our
lives. We can each choose to end the suffering, or we can add to it
by burdening others. As part of the circle and part of the balance,
life without suffering would not be life. We are not
robots to regurgitate all that is taught to us, instead we are
pliable and must continue on our journey to grow and become spiritual
through the light and the darkness of our days. Keep the faith and
carry on.
Spirituality awakens us to the great,
undeniable connection we have to everything. Spirituality is a sense
that we are greater than ourselves, our physical selves; that there
is something more, something that must be learned, experienced,
lived. Spirituality is the force that keeps us dreaming, achieving,
longing for more. Spirituality brings peace, contentment,
satisfaction and release from the pressures of this cold, dark world.
Spirituality is knowing that we are here for something amazing.
It is who we love and how we love. Spirituality is what we're
passionate about, interested in, eager to explore. Spirituality is
being alive and living truly.
Spirituality is a way of life that
honours the beauty of the soul and recognizes the fact that there is
more to life than physical things, more to life than physical
pleasures. Perhaps unconsciously, the mind repeatedly seeks
spiritual discoveries. Every moment of bliss is a spiritual moment.
Every time you live in the moment that is your life, when you allow
your mind to wander pleasantly, quietly, when you get a glimpse of
the connections binding us together, these are all moments of
spirituality. A journey of self-discovery, spiritualism is not
something you achieve, it is something continuously lived. Our
constant desire to improve ourselves and our surroundings proves our
spirituality.
It is important to acknowledge that
spirituality is not necessarily about material gain. Material
possessions that inspire tranquility, peace of mind, relaxation,
happiness should be included while exploring spirituality. Books,
songs, meditations, these are the tools we use to help ourselves
onward. We all have them, those precious objects instilled with easy
affection. Those reminders of our calmest selves set out in the
world as extensions of ourselves. The point is to make sure these
gentle expressions do not consume and cloud our desires. Life is a
pursuit, some pursue riches, some comforts, some adventure.
Spirituality is a pursuit in the alignment of ourselves with our
existence.
Spirituality is admitting that our
individual happiness is important enough to be perceived by the
universe. It is the belief that we matter, that what we do matters.
It is allowing ourselves to live openly, accepting gifts and
blessings as is our right. It is the keen observation that
everything is connected. The acknowledgement of the fact that we are
bound to each other, as we
are to the animals, to the Earth, to Life, and to Light. It is the
daring to believe in something considerably
more powerful than ourselves,
that we can become more impressive
than we are today, that we have the capacity to achieve the
extraordinary.
Some people are born with this
perceptive ability to fathom a spiritual world. Some find it through
tragedy, some through the miraculous, some by accident, some due to
learning, some from the observation and participation in our natural
world. Some access it with yoga, some with meditation, some through
prayer. Some experience it by giving, serving, some simply by
reacting to life. Some believe in ancient traditions, some in modern
technologies. Some hide away in private, some on the top of the
world. How and where you realize your spiritual moments are personal
and intimate. The challenge is when. When do you feel most
spiritual? Seek those moments. Create excuses to feel more
spiritual, it will put you in touch with who you really are.
Spirituality awakens us to ourselves.
We realize that in us is the greatest gift of all. Life. The
connection with others, that love we share, the enjoyment we find.
The desire to become more, to learn more, to feel more, to experience
more. What we think about when we're happy are the seeds of
spirituality. The ability to relax and enjoy is what brings us peace
in a frenzied world. It helps us open our hearts to beauty and
passion. Spirituality is giving up control when we know we have no
power, and investing ourselves in our power to influence a favourable
future for ourselves and others. Spirituality is knowing that we are
here for something amazing. It is who we love and how we love. It
makes us appreciate the preciousness of life.
