You are constantly held within the perfect whole. An integral part of the fabric of the universe, you are never separate from anything that exists. However much you may feel that life is against you during difficult times, you are always loved by the compassionate and wise presence of life itself.
Consequence is one of life’s best teachers. When we were children, we learned that fire burns when we tried to touch it. The physical pain taught us to never again reach into the flame. As we grow, we learn what burns, we learn what singes, and we learn what feels cooling and refreshing. We try to stay clear of the painful and move towards that which feels good.
Being part of the whole, we understand that everything we experience supports our evolution in some way – even the uncomfortable and painful things. Our likes and dislikes have little say in the lessons we are given along the spiritual path. In fact, being attached to likes and dislikes, the idea that something is for or against us, limits the way in which we can meet all of life with fullness and growth.
I know first-hand that perceived limitations, restrictions and painful events are a blessing in disguise. The most immediate example of this in my life is the four months I spent paralyzed from the waist down, immobilized in bed due to a severe spinal cord injury.
I had to face the possibility of never being able to walk again, which doctors estimated was a likelihood – even after the spinal surgery they recommended. Instead of seeing this experience as against me, I knew somehow deep within that this was an expression of my relationship with the whole. Something was out of phase and I was being guided into greater harmony. Rather than surgery, I chose to go within and fully meet this as a complete recalibration around a whole new axis – one I knew nothing about.
In surrender, I saw the consequence of my actions as a gift of karmic fast forward. In those months, I burned through deep karmic ties that had limited my ability to perceive the whole with greater clarity and insight. Out of it, a book was written, “The Three Supreme Secrets for Lasting Happiness”, and a new me was born: freer, happier, wiser, lighter, more rooted and connected than ever before.
Challenges are not obstacles but guideposts to how we can be in greater health and total well-being. They are never punishments from a judgmental universe, but compassionate guidance from a loving source, and a reflection of our truest nature.
The next time you find yourself in a difficult situation, rather than feeling judged by the universe, instead, welcome the present moment as a deeply wise and compassionate teacher, one that is showing you how to grow. Recalibrate your energy and release that which no longer serves. Remember, you are never alone, but always within a loving and wise universe.