Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Facing Changes


How can we find peace in a tough economy? Jobs end, relationships dissolve, money come and go and homes change. It is healthy and at time necessary to remember that change is growth. Growth is an ever present and ever changing phenomenon that can occur only with changes. Spiritual growth means acknowledging the flexibility within and accepting the impermanence of things. Change is the perpetual force in life. It is an energy that is constantly in motion. We need to view life as a continuous string of events without a beginning or end. Perceiving life in as constantly changing shows us that we attribute qualities and time frames such as past, present and future to our existence. The economy is only one of the things that goes under methamorposis like anything else in life. Being mindful and thankful for the things that we have despite external struggles is something that can make us stronger, peaceful and spiritually abundant. Do you remember to be thankful for your family, your health, your ability to work and willingness to seek employment? Do you remember to smile at the small things in life like a hug, a hot cup of cocoa, a soft pillow and a warm meal?

Attaining spiritual peace is a process of continuous growth within change.
Only change is consistent in life. Existence in itself is something we struggle to explain or comprehend. Each individual therefore experiences spiritual growth or inner development subjectively. It should not be surprising that different people report similar experiences during an enlightening experience. Everything in nature is connected and one person can tap into the same information as another one. However, how each person experiences this situation and then tries to explain it to others occurs on a totally personal and subjective level.

Change is an inevitable part of our existence. Everything is in a constant flux of change. No matter how much we try to change things, change usually occurs at its own time. With this in mind, how does one keep oneself peaceful, healthy and complete? Sometimes changes brings favorable outcomes and at others, destruction and despair. When we are happy and undisturbed mentally, we rarely seek other's help or question our part in this changing life. It is not an easy task for a person to go through the notions of life without ever being affected by pain. This is especially evident during the down times when we sink into depression, hopelessness, anxiety, or discontent.

How can we keep a mentally healthy and spiritually abundant lifestyle when we are like a leaf carried by the wind or like a tiny boat in the ocean blown away in the ocean? Our mental states are dictated by changes of which we are not always fully aware. As!long as we attribute our struggles, depression, unhappiness and hopelessness to something out of our control, we will suffer. Change is not our enemy in life. Change represents life itself. If we go against our own nature, how are we to ever achieve balance and freedom? Or unhappiness comes from the fact that we go through life halfway conscious. We move from one situation into another carrying different moods and expectations. We realize that desire brings impatience, anger brings hatred and that until we break off from this pattern, we will continue to be caught up in vicious a cycle. Once we realize that we alone can trap our self in a well filled with pain, we can make a conscious decision to escape from it by using what is inside of us. Often times we're caught up in life having to meet deadlines, provide for our family and keep a socially acceptable persona while we miss the opportunity to face our most inner needs. In an age when everything is fast paced, we become accustomed to the flow of external events which in return molds our personality to fit different situations. As time goes by, we lose objectivity and become marionettes of the necessity to please and perform in order to meet societal demands. There will be no outer change in our life without an inner transformation. A person needs to mindfully transition from one state into another weather that is on a mental, emotional or a spiritual level. Many of us are not attentive to our inner state of being and its true spiritual desires. We may acknowledge that we get sad, angry, happy, and aroused but rarely do we acknowledge that even though things around us and even our thoughts and feelings are transitional. Once we realize this, we can have a greater control of our spiritual self and find inner peace. It is our ego that goes through life's changes. This easily afflicted self is our personal character filled with fear, doubt, depression and anxiety which endures a never-ending struggle. In spite of all of the difficulties life presents us with there is possibility for a healthier and peaceful life style and equilibrium that can be reached in the present moment.

Excerpt from : Guru in Jeans: Inward Journey to Psychospiritual Awakening