Our stumbles can transform us

An interesting thought from spiritual author and teacher Marianne Williamson:

“In order to create their beautiful plumage, peacocks sometimes eat thorns. Hard, pointed, razor-like objects are processed in their abdomens and then contribute to feathers with colors and shapes unmatched throughout nature for their extraordinary beauty.

So it is with us.

Often that which is the hardest to digest, to process, to integrate into our life experiences is what ultimately transforms us in a positive way. We become who we are meant to be sometimes by having to eat some hard-edge, bitter thorns of human experience.”

Who among us hasn’t stumbled?

We failed at relationships, and then those failures propelled us to more deeply understand what relationships are for and how to master the art of loving.

We grieved the loss of a loved one and then came through the experience more appreciative of every day we have with those we love.

We lost at business and then looked back at the loss as the business education we obviously needed.

We made mistakes and then experienced forgiveness as we acknowledged and made amends for them.

Life provides us with an abundance of opportunities to learn, to grow, to move forward.

And a well-known affirmation from another spiritual teacher and author, Lousie Hays, is something we can all incorporate into our thoughts, words, feelings, and behaviors:

“All is well. Everything is working out for my highest good. Out of this situation, only good will come. I am safe.”

And so it is…

How Old is Grandma?

( How old is grandma? The answer is at the end of  the article!) Today is Grandparents Day! And here’s a cute story… One day a grandson was talking to his grandmother about current events. The grandson asked his grandmother what she thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in […]

Did you get some right?

Here’s one of my favorite stories from 6 years ago: Little Emma is 6 years old and in first grade and it’s the end of the first week. When Mom picked her up from school, Emma bounced happily into the car. “How was school today, honey?” Immediately and very happily, Emma answered: “I had my […]

It’s that time of year again…

But it’s okay…     It’s okay to be lost. It’s okay to not know-because that’s what learning is, that’s what life is. After all, it’s September and back to school time for all of us. Whether we’re in kindergarten or just a bewildered adult, life is all about the learning. And it’s not a waste […]

Can’t sleep? Think on these!

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another Zen story…

Once there was a person who wanted to relocate to a new village. Wondering if he’d like his new town, he went to consult the Zen master, “Do you think I will like this new village? Are the people nice?” The Zen master asks: “How were the people in the town where you come from?” “It […]

More than enough?

Saying that “I have enough” or “I am enough” isn’t really “enough,” even though they are useful affirmations and certainly head us in the right direction. I suggest we consider the option of replacing the word “enough” with the word “plenty.” Consider the difference in feeling and tone generated by the two phrases “I have […]

A teaching story…

One day, a famous samurai set out to find a monk who was known to be very wise. When he arrived at the monastery, he demanded of the serene man, “Tell me, you are learned in this matter. What is heaven and what is hell?” The monk turned and looked up at the warrior. “You […]

An Amazing Word…

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A Taste of Wisdom

 A Hindu parable recounted by Mark Nepo An aging Hindu master grew tired of his apprentice complaining, and so one morning sent him for some salt. When the apprentice returned, the master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it. “How does […]