As I walked along the park path, a giant blackbird flew overhead. I have seen these hawk-sized creatures in another neighborhood park without the slightest clue as to what they were. The bird landed on the roof peering over the park. A Mockingbird quickly flew to his side, flitting about playfully with a rambunctious spirit. I see Mockingbirds nearly every visit to the park, so I pondered the relationship to the blackbird. I had a hunch that this bird is not a crow given its gargantuan size.
How to Find Joy Through Suffering
One of my favorite Buddhist teachings on the lotus flower reminds me that we must lean into our pain and suffering.
Without suffering, there's no happiness. So we shouldn't discriminate against the mud. We have to learn how to embrace and cradle our own suffering and the suffering of the world, with a lot of tenderness.
-Thich Nhat Hanh, No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering
We are constantly bombarded by suffering, either our own or the collective world's agony. The tragedy in Istanbul along with personal, familial obstacles reminds me to lean into such occurrences and whatever feelings arise from them.
The Alchemy of True Living
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.
How to Trust in Miracles
What are you afraid of? What are you truly fearful of that holds you back? As I have consciously become aware of the insidious role of fear in my life, my ability to face and then eliminate those limited sets of beliefs has grown tremendously.
But when setting fear aside, faith must enter in the void that our limiting thoughts pervade our minds. Faith may be my single favorite topic to teach on simply because it is the precursor to each and every miracle in my life.
When fear and trepidation permeated my being last month, I surrendered my life to God and released the ironclad grip I held onto that prevented Grace from entering my life's circumstances.