This Thing Called Life...
Being born into this life is a miracle and somewhat of a mystery in itself. No matter what geographical location we are born in, we all go through the exact same process of developing in our Mother's womb. We all enter into this world as infants needing total nurturing and care. We cannot remember being born, we don't know or think about where we came from until later on in life...we cannot even remember the first few years of life. We are like blank slates waiting to be written on to determine how we will become and where we will go. Even though we cannot remember the beginning of our lives we are deeply impacted by the environment we are exposed to during that time. We are totally dependent on those around us to take care of us.
If someone gave you a blank canvas and said paint me a picture, there are a million things that you could choose to paint. However, you would probably choose to paint something familiar to you and specific to your unique experiences. Perhaps something you remember from childhood that impacted you.Something simple but important like the house you grew up in. Everyone would paint something different but many would paint something similar...you see, we are all connected and even though it seems as if you may be the only one going through what you are going through or experiencing what you are experiencing, the fact of the matter is that someone else close to you, or on another side of town or on the other side of the world is going through something very similar if not the same thing.
Knowing that you are not the only one going through difficult or challenging times can help you and give you the strength to endure. Knowing that you are not the only one in your situation can give you the power to push through the hard times. Having the courage to reach outside of yourself to look at what someone else is experiencing will propel you to the next level of maturity, It will allow you to break free from the chains of fear and despair. Listening to, and reading about the testimonies and success stories of those who have faced your dilemma before you have can help you to gain new insight and to receive wisdom and guidance to make the right moves. You will begin to learn to take the next steps toward your goals and dreams. You will begin to feel strengthened and empowered to move forward. You will begin to see that because others have done it before you, that you can do it too! Allowing yourself to be taught and mentored by people that are wise and experienced will impact your life in amazing ways!
There are many people, places, and things to encounter in this life but they are have very common characteristics. Things like goodness, kindness, care, love, peace, joy, goodwill toward mankind, ambition, the pursuit of happiness, success, and wholeness in family life and career are all things that most people desire no matter their background. When we begin to think about the things that are more common to us all, we begin to draw people and experiences to us that change the way we think and we begin to live on a level that is greater than what we have seen. We start to have peace and harmony within ourselves and our environment because our view of things and our perspective is lifted to a whole new level.
Instead of feeling helpless and weak, we begin to feel encouraged and hopeful. Allowing yourself to look outside of your current situation and to see others and their experiences opens your view to their triumphs and struggles. It puts things in perspective and often shows you that things are not as bad or as hopeless as you make think. Try to intentionally place yourself in situations and places that you would normally not pay much attention to. If you don't have children, offer to help babysit for a friend for a couple of hours. If you have never been without a vehicle, take public transit to work or shopping for a day. If you have never been without money, visit a homeless shelter for a day and serve where you can. It will change your life.
Also, if you feel as if you have no peace, begin to gravitate to places and environments wherever it is peaceful, lovely, positive, praiseworthy; where there is purpose, service, and agape love. Be mindful what you watch and listen to and observe people that are peaceful and watch what they do. Reach out to a mentor, someone you admire and learn from if you need assistance with it. Make your home and your environment this peaceful. Create spaces that make you and others feel at peace when in that place. Take a closer look at how you are choosing to live and experience this life. Then make the necessary adjustments each day for you and the people around you to experience the goodness all around you. Turn your focus to the good and zoom in and magnify the best things, not the worse things. Don't feed into negativity. Whatever you starve will die. Doing these things will lift your spirits and will begin to draw more good to you.
