Musings: Gratitude Leads to Joy
- A friend often reminds me when I am down to “count your blessings.” Even when we are going through a tough time, there are many blessings in our lives. Life is the biggest blessing, and we are continually supported by family, loved ones, friends and community.
I believe it is important to reach out for help – since much help is available in most communities. As Confucius taught, “Shared happiness is double happiness; shared sorrow is half sorrow.” It is important to stay in a positive mindset, as we find solace in the fact: this temporary situation too will soon pass.
- The spiritually evolved view is that we attract everything that happens to us. I believe this is the Universe’s way to nudge us on to our spiritual path. There is much growth in challenges.
In the past, I have written about the concept of “bardos,” which comes from the Tibetan Buddhism tradition when one is in a tough transitional place and feels upside down or thrown. In this space the spirit is vibrating at a high frequency and if you can tap into that (through meditation practice or the like) you not only come through these challenges but also land on higher ground.
Look at some of the challenges you have gone through in the past, and you may discover that these tough experiences provided you the biggest growth in your spiritual evolution. Even during the times when something appears to be negative, it is best to affirm that there is more to it than meets the eye. What seems wrong may truly be a blessing in disguise. As Henry David Thoreau reminds us: “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” - Another strong tool you can use is to seek inner guidance. It is important that your intentions in seeking inner guidance are pure, sincere and in the highest good for all involved. In the challenging situation, it would include the person who may have caused you harm. From Proverbs 15:33 we are reminded, “Humility comes before honor.”
The ego needs to be totally surrendered to the high power – “Let go: Let God.” This wise inner guidance – living within us all – has always consistently helped me understand why I attracted this seemingly negative experience into my life. It thus guides me to extract the lessons I need to progress in my spiritual journey. It is here you can see the gifts that help you make the tweaks you need to make to become a better person.
This does not mean that anyone of us is a bad person; it only means we can become better. There is no limit to personal spiritual growth, and these lessons handled properly propel us towards enlightenment. Every saint has suffered the dark night of the soul and found purpose and growth in their suffering.
Often in heartbreaking tragedies there is a spark of clarity. I was able to find purpose in the tragedy that took my only son at the young of 20. I agree it is not easy but as we know what is easy is not usually worthwhile. I would encourage my readers to look at these seeming unbeatable challenges as an opportunity for lessons to turbocharge your spiritual growth. At these defining moments, if you are able to make the right choice by tapping into your inner guidance you literally manifest transformation and a miracle in your life and in the lives of others.
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