Tag Archives: Blessings in challenges

“Good” Friday

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Today is Good Friday, and my daughter asked me, “Mom, why do they call it Good if it’s the day Jesus was hung on the cross and died?”  I seem to remember asking that same question of my mom when I was a child.  Perhaps you’ve asked it yourself.  I remember my mom saying something like, “Well because it recognizes the cycle where the miracle of resurrection transpired at the end.”  Okay. I kind of understood that.

However, after practicing proactive gratitude for a while, I get this idea on a whole new level.   First of all, the resurrection could not have happened without the crucifixion.  Secondly, as with all biblical stories, the message is only transformational when you can relate it to you own life.

So, for me that means…the challenges and difficulties in our lives have the potential to bring forth a miracle for us.  In fact, the miracle is inherent in the challenge. And…here’s the key…in order to experience the miracle, we need to name the challenge “Good.”

Think about a challenge you are currently facing in your life.  Is it possible…even remotely…that some good could come of it?  You might not be able to see what that is now, and that’s okay.  From what I understand, Jesus’ followers didn’t see the resurrection coming.  But it came.  You may recall other challenges in your life that you can be grateful for in hindsight because it led you to some good you have now…a blessing that you wouldn’t have if you hadn’t walked through the challenge.

This “miracle after darkness” is not the exclusive territory of Christians.  All faiths have a similar story. We just celebrated Passover and the miracle of freedom and finding the land of milk and honey after years and years of enslavement.  Buddha almost starved to death trying to live as an acetic before he was brought back to heath and was then able to share his wisdom.   Mohammad was outnumbered and defeated before he claimed victory and was able to share his message channeled into the Quran.

The point is, whatever challenge you are facing, look at it squarely in the eyes and name it Good!  Allow yourself to trust that there is a miracle unfolding in your life and that this challenge will somehow deliver it to you.  You don’t need to know how.  That isn’t your job.  Your job is to trust and stay alert.  Be on the lookout for it – a miracle can take many forms.  Name it good, and then be open.

Happy Easter.

Gratitude Experiment: Day 62

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Sometimes people ask me if developing an attitude of gratitude causes one to ignore the problems in life…to just pretend problems are not there and therefore become apathetic and lack initiative.  It’s a good question.  I asked this same question too for many years, until I finally realized that nothing in life really gets solved by complaining about it. 

Let’s think about it. When we are complaining about some person or situation in our lives we are, in effect, putting ourselves in a victim position.  We’ve not yet done anything to change it. We may not see how it can be changed. So we complain, and complain, and complain.  The more we complain, the deeper we dig ourselves into victim-hood.  Are victims empowered to change things? No, they become paralyzed with fear, regret, blame and self-doubt.  It’s always someone else’s fault or the system’s fault that they’re miserable.  And they give up.

On the other hand, if we perceive life from a viewpoint that there is so much to be grateful for, we become empowered.  Oh, we notice those things that are wrong.  We’re not stupid.  However, we don’t dwell in it. We don’t wallow in it.  But, we see it all right.  And because we’re coming from a frame of mind that we are essentially blessed, we feel empowered to take any action necessary to change what can be changed as effortlessly as possible and return to a place of gratitude.   

People who practice proactive gratitude are more aligned with their intuition and innate wisdom.  They are unafraid to speak their mind, and move forward in life, taking whatever action needs to be taken to move things forward or make necessary changes. 

Proactive gratitude challenges us to search out the blessing in challenging situations and to call forth the blessing, while changing what needs to be changed…or changing our perception of an event and learning to live in peace with it. 

Don’t take my word for it.  Look around at the people in your life.  You probably know some people who just love to complain.  They just can’t get through a conversation without complaining about something.  Do they effectively change what needs to be changed?  Are they at peace with what can’t?  Then, look at those who have a positive, optimistic outlook on life…those who easily express their gratitude.  Are they more effective at taking action and speaking up when necessary?  Are they more centered and at peace?  Do their lives work better?  Take a look around and see the difference between the two. Then, decide which frame of mind you’d like to embrace.

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I am grateful for forgiveness. Those who forgive me and my ability to forgive others, and myself.

I am grateful for the beautiful pink cherry blossoms that are beginning to spring up.

I am grateful for a warm day at last.

I am grateful for my husband and his energy and initiative.  No lazy bones here.

I am grateful for all the insight that is flowing though me and for more clarity.

I am grateful for the prosperity manifested in my life this week.

Gratitude Experiment: Day 51

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I remember hearing a few years ago a sermon that Rev. Michael Beckwith gave at Agape where he said, “You are to be grateful for everything in your life…not just the good stuff…but EVERYTHING.”   When I first heard that I thought, he must be speaking metaphorically or something. Because, how could we be grateful for illness, relationship trouble, failure, lack, etc.?   No, he really meant everything. 

Well, we know that sometimes the most amazing blessings come to us out of the most challenging experiences.  At the very least, we’ve learned a lesson. We’ll never make that mistake again, right?  We can also learn more about forgiveness.  We can learn to forgive ourselves, our family and our friends.  What a blessing that is. Forgiveness frees us.

But there is a deeper level on which we can take this message.  Beckwith went on to say that, “when we are grateful for everything, we are literally lifting our vibration…lifting it out of the realm of dense, physical form…out of the realm of ‘effect’ and into the the vibration of ’cause’.”  

Okay, if we accept that everything is energy, and all things vibrate at a certain vibration…and that like vibration attracts that which is like itself, then this begins to make sense.  In other words, if I am focusing on how bad my current experience is, this causes me to feel pretty bad about myself, other people, and life in general.  I am now vibrating at a level that will…if I don’t change it…attract more challenging experiences to me.

But, how do I change it?   I can begin to change my vibration by shifting my perception.   I can shift my perception to a place where I understand that these challenging circumstances and experiences are, in fact, “effects” in my life.  It’s not who I am. Who I am is far greater than the experiences and circumstances of my life.  I am an expression of Life itself.  When I focus on this…I can be thankful for my life. When I am thankful for my life, I begin to feel better about myself and about life in general. 

When I feel better about these my life, my mind becomes clearer. I can begin to see solutions to certain challenges. I begin to get ideas about how I can change things.  I can also feel more compassion for myself and others.  I can love myself more.  All of this lifts my vibration into the realm of “cause” from which my experience flows.  And the experiences that flow from this vibration are blessed indeed.

What do you think?  Do you think it’s possible to be grateful for everything?  Can you honestly be grateful for everything? Share your thoughts by commenting here.

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Today I am grateful for the experiences in my life that have led me to this point…I am open and available to Spirit to move through me.

Gratitude Experiment: Day 36

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Last night, just as I was about to climb into bed and place my very full glass of water on the bedside table, it spilled…the whole thing…all over all my books, papers, etc (lots of etcetera!)  I was so tired and knew I’d have to get up before dawn again to get my kids ready for school.  Immediately a God d….n it! issued forth from my mouth. Then, while cleaning it up, I realized there was a huge pile of magazines, papers, books and other stuff that I wasn’t ever going to get around to reading, and was essentially a very large pile o’ junk.  I suddenly realized what a blessing the spilt water was, as I had the opportunity to go through and recycle all that stuff, keeping there only what I am currently reading. 

I gave thanks for the spilt water.  I woke up feeling so light and uncluttered.

This is a small thing, I know.  But the idea of finding the blessing in, and expressing gratitude for, those experiences that feel, at the time like curses, is a spiritual practice.  A practice which fills us with love and joy, keeps us connected with Source, draws more good to us, and transforms our lives. 

I began thinking of other challenging experiences where I have found the blessing and am grateful for it.  Breast cancer for one.  I’m so grateful that during that experience I had the opportunity of recognizing and clearing out all the resentment and unforgiveness that was clogging my psyche and my body. At a relatively young age, I had the opportunity of letting that all go and choosing to perceive relationships and, life in general, from a higher perspective.  I don’t have to carry all that around with me into my old age…weighing me down.

I’m grateful that I was not able to have children when I wanted them, and had to work really hard to conceive.  I wasn’t ready for them. I wasn’t mature enough.  And the effort it took prepped me for the selflessness and sacrifice that parenting requires.

We can do this for our world as well.  Aren’t we all grateful that the would-be suicide airline bomber on Christmas Day was…not only foiled in his attempt…but also that it happened.  We are now increasing security and, more importantly, intelligence gathering and dissemination.  We are actually more secure as a nation because of it.

The list can go on and on…

And, I see from a lot of your comments that you too, are engaged in this practice of claiming a blessing from challenging experiences.   I’d be interested in hearing how that practice has brought forth a blessing for you specifically.  We’d all benefit from reading it.  So, I’m thanking you in advance!