The only thing we can be certain of is change. In fact, change is the only constant in life.
After experiencing a grave change yesterday that I wish had been a cruel dream, I found this Rumi quote in my favorite book, Broken Open by Elizabeth Lesser.
Learn the alchemy true human beings know. The moment you accept what troubles you've been given, the door will open.
-Rumi
Resisting such change is to say "no, thank you" to life. Many of us practice this safe, predictable living, and yet, many of our souls are lost, grieving and frustrated. I know mine was initially lost in the murky waters of created by such devastating change.
I awoke today with two choices; deny what happened or embrace it with prayer, positivity and acceptance. Radical acceptance of how life shows up in any given moment is the key to mastering alchemy (the process of transformation).
You may think, "how is accepting something dark or negative or terrifying going to transform my life?" And you'd be right to ponder this sentiment, but the very resistance to any situation or person in our life will keep us stuck in the mud.
Rumi says, "The moment you accept what troubles you've been given, the door will open." By releasing resistance to what is and replacing it with gratitude, we find a way to build appreciation for the lesson or gift of any given situation or event.
Life changes all around us often too quickly to keep up with; the moment we surrender to the present and find gratitude is the instant we open up to solutions and answers outside of your realm of understanding.
If you're wondering how this works, it is simple: gratitude arrives when we are in a state of appreciation which builds joy in our heart.
The root of joy is gratefulness.
-David Steindl-Rast
This isn't to say that sitting in a joyful state literally causes solutions to appear (although it has been known to happen); the frequency we emit as a result of the joy, appreciation and gratitude causes the shift.
This frequency raises our vibration to resurrect us from whatever loathing we may be feeling from situations too dark to see outside of.
Think of this frequency as a flare on our stranded island of complacency and longing and grief (or maybe you're on the island I like to call "my life sucks aka pitty island"). The Universe picks up on our emitted frequency (aka flare of SOS) and matches it with an equivalent signal.
You could call these returned frequencies doorways or gifts from above, and they show up in many forms: new opportunitees, signs, synchronicities and serendipitous occurrences.
The Universe doesn't deliver quick fixes per se, but the doorways will lead to solutions to our perceived problems. When we courageously enter through the door granted us, we are led to the next door thus beginning a chain reaction of abundance known as "living in the flow."
The more abundant love we receive from the Universe, the more gratitude we feel for this answer to our prayers. Before long, our situation begins to look like an entirely new life, not because anything has drastically changed, but because WE changed—our perception changed.
It is within this environment of doorways that we begin to journey toward a life of purpose and fulfillment that aligns with our soul's calling.
All it takes is turning resistance into acceptance through gratitude. Living in the present moment is the only way worth living, and when we notice the blessings and beauty of life around us (even amidst dark and troubling times), we find little ways to let love and light permeate our existence.
Pain and struggle become our biggest teachers when we find the underlying lesson presenting itself. It is often the lesson we need to learn before we can transcend our current experiences and segue into experiences using the consciousness, wisdom and awareness gained through pain.
With this understanding in our pocket, the magic of transformation takes place and we learn that while change is certain, the way we handle it is up to us. Change can break us or build us into who we are meant to be; you get to decide.