The epic goal for some brings about the focus of work. They Work eight to ten hours a day, slaving at laborious jobs, hated but endured.
Life’s moments, made up by valuable time doing something good for mankind, for the care of the planet, for lending a helping hand, and even to the creatures wandering through our lives.
The flow of life brings hardships. Those hardships hinder your walk if allowed to do so. The next thing you know, you stumble, both mentally and physically.
Hardships show up whether or not we like them; a part of life we must adapt with. If we do not adopt, we become part of the program, hurting ourselves in the process. Pema shares some insightful thoughts, woven throughout the writing. If not for those who journeyed before us, our courage may not be as strong to make needed changes, starting with ourselves.
“The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.” Pema Chodron
The flow shows up in rapid succession and sweeps you away with the tide. So quickly, you forget the details, which help your significant other feel loved, and stresses begin to build.
Life full of the intricate workings of one soul upon another, interacting subconsciously, unknowingly affecting the outcome of another person’s day.
The push and pull of day-to-day living, longing for change, and the struggle to survive can aggravate and irritate, even the strongest survivor.
“Sometimes when things fall apart, well, that’s the big opportunity to change.” Pema Chodron
It is what you do with the ‘reality’ which will make or break your testimony in life. Your friends and family who see your breaking point, come to your aid and lift you back out of the mire. Life, then, becomes a richer, more profound testimony of victory over a selfish habit, which takes from the whole.
Life, it is made up of choices, which press upon you from all directions.
Weeding through the choices gives us chances to change or stay the same. Some experiences, push through from the bottom of our souls, to bloom upon the surface, like the lotus flower, sparkling with hope.
“Inner peace begins the moment you choose not to allow another person or event to control your emotions.” Pema Chodron
Your choices become a part of your life; make sure you know the influences by the outside sources surrounding you (friends, family, strangers passing by), which destroys your ‘inner peace’.
Easier said than done, for sure…looking at all those who have walked, jogged, or ran into life full speed ahead, you can see how some spontaneous thoughts developed into the results of their ‘actions’ and some could care less if their ‘actions’ however small it is, influenced another soul to stumble or rise.
We are our ‘brothers’ Keeper, whether we like it or not.
*So what if my choice affects you!”…some think. Well, folks…its life, “it is what it is”.
Your choice will affect someone near and dear to you. What are you choosing today? Will you honor the ones you love and their requests (These requests benefit the family unit or the relationship)? Or will you blindly just run on and ‘do’ your own thing and ruin the love of your life?
“We sow the seeds of our future hell’s or happiness by the way we open or close our minds right now.” Pema Chodron
Questions to Ponder
Will you just zip right past the homeless person on the street corner and rush through your day as work is more important than a human in need? What about that ‘friend’ who is crying and you are too busy? What about that woman who lost her baby and feels like she’s about to lose her mind? Did we pass by with judgment instead of mercy?
The episodes, the stories revealed in life, come to us whether we react, act, or respond to them or not.
When you rest your head tonight on a pillow in a warm house, did the day’s events bring you closer to others or drive you farther away? Did you really consider all of those around you in your walk or did you aimlessly pass those in your care for your own selfish gratification?
“If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.” Pema Chodron
Yes, this is life. Life lived abundantly is life filled with trials, which some turned out to develop into epic stories. The teachers along our path become a part of the story, they help us develop character, strength, purpose. If we embrace the journey as one embracing an academic subject to garner an A+ grade, we then advance with a dynamic shift in our perspective.
Life is filled with adventures, some of which define our character.
Life is filled with choices.
Some choices are not our own to make, in reality, for in our choices, we affect the whole of a community, the drastic calling of a world who needs our support while we are here.
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Choose wisely today in your actions and choices. Life waits for you to grab it with enthusiasm. Give it your best shot. If you stumble and hurt someone, repair it as soon as you can.
If you are hurt, extend forgiveness, even after you have to ‘discuss’ it and find a solution. Never, ever, let life pass you by, for at the moment you think, “I don’t care” and then proceed toward your choices without regard to other’s feelings, those choices catch up. What would happen, say if an accident takes your loved one from you? It becomes the moment you’ll never forget.
The memory eats at your heart and wears down your resilience.
Face the valley of choice without regret. Face the choices with positive regard, unconditionally, knowing more now than you did before. Seek to move forward, remembering the past in order to not repeat it in the future.
Life gifted to us in moments fills us with hope for a better future. Gifts, handed out to others through our choices and our attitudes provide them with hope. In a way, you create a legacy by the choices you make.
What will those who intersect in your life remember you for? Life is lived through choices. They make a difference.
~Just a Thought by Pamela ☼
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Previously published on Medium.com.
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Photo credit: By Oliver Roos on Unsplash