by Ada Porat | Jul 22, 2015 | Conscious living, Cope with change, Depression, Life coaching, Mindfulness
It’s mid-summer, and almost everyone I know is either on vacation or suffering from post vacation blues. The bliss of getting away from it all is often followed by the despair of returning to daily routine, right!
Vacation can feel like a bit of heaven on earth, followed by intense resistance as we struggle to return to our daily routine. Authentic living requires us to embrace and integrate these seeming opposites, instead of perpetuating the cycle through attachment and aversion.
Ultimately, vacation is a change in routine, not a lack thereof. My granny taught me this lesson early on in life. I’d get home from boarding school, exhausted from the rigid academic schedule and looking forward to some reprieve. But no such luck! My mother would wake me up at dawn the next morning with a cup of coffee and a long list of chores to do! When I complained to Gran, she smiled and said, “My girlie, vacation is a change of occupation, not a lack of occupation.”
Today I understand the wisdom of her words. Changing our daily routine is not only refreshing, it is essential for well-being. Breaking away gives us the opportunity to expand our viewpoints, experiences and skill sets. It can open our perceptions to entirely new possibilities. Studies in brain neurology have show that when the brain is exercised in ways outside the habitual scope of daily routine, it remains resilient and hence more resistant to dementia.
On the flip side, the very freedom of vacation can also contribute to a sense of post vacation blues when we return to our daily lives. From working with clients I have learned that there are three areas that contribute to post vacation blues: returning to a daily routine that somehow feels dissonant, coming back to piles of responsibilities that accumulated while you were gone, and leaving the relaxed, exciting or self-nurturing aspects of your vacation behind.
There are several things you can do to integrate aspects of your vacation into your daily life for ongoing enrichment while mitigating post vacation blues. Here are a few:
Deal with dissonance.
Pay attention to the deeper reasons WHY you might have difficulty returning to your routine. If you still experience post vacation blues after the jet lag has worn off and you’ve been back at work for more than a few days, perhaps there is a deeper reason for your reluctance. Stepping away from your routine may have offered you clarity on the fact that you have outgrown your current work situation, or that the work schedule you’ve been keeping leaves no space for work-life balance; or that your work demands are not aligned with your core values. If you experience any of these deeper sources of dissonance, it may be time for a work or career change.
Plan ahead for peace.
Post vacation blues can leave you feeling overwhelmed by projects, bills and responsibilities that piled up while you were gone. A bit of planning can go a long way to prevent the budget blues. Prepaying aspects of your vacation such as the hotel, flight or rental car will help whittle down credit card balances so you don’t get hit with the whole whammy upon returning. Arrange for a neighbor or student to handle basic chores while you are gone so you don’t return to a dead garden or piled-up chores – or my favorite, schedule someone to clean the house so you return to a clean, tidy home!
Schedule a buffer day at the end of your vacation so you have time to catch up with essentials after you get back. This step can help you avoid all kinds of stress in the event of flight delays, unexpected events or simply returning home exhausted.
Savor the experience.
In our rushed lives, we often forget that vacation consists of more than time away: the first phase involves planning and preparation; the second consists of the actual vacation experience, and the third involves review and integration of that experience into your life.
What were some of the cultural, culinary, experiential or educational highlights of your vacation? How can you integrate some of those aspects into your daily life for ongoing enrichment?
When you integrate positive aspects of your vacation into your daily life, you’ll continue to reap rewards from the time away. One of my clients returned from a trip to France and decided to finally fulfill a lifelong dream of learning French; another decided to start an educational charity after a trip to Africa.
Refresh your daily routine.
One of the most beneficial aspects of vacation has to do with the way it changes up our daily routine – just as my Granny taught me. This is hugely refreshing because it replaces the drudgery of daily life.
You can keep that sense of renewal alive by varying your daily routine at home, too! If your favorite part of vacation was breakfast on the balcony overlooking the mountains, then find a way to bring that mood to your meals at home. Was it the excitement of sightseeing? Most of us have never seen all the sights in our own regions, so plan some weekend getaways year-round.
When you use the joyful moments of your vacation experience as inspiration to freshen and enliven your daily routine, you’ll do more than banishing post vacation blues – you’ll find your everyday life enriched in amazing ways!
About the author
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit https://adaporat.com. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
by Ada Porat | Jan 26, 2015 | Conscious living, Cope with change, Decision-making, Fear and anxiety, Life coaching, Life transitions
You may be cruising along comfortably at work or in your relationship when – bam! – something unexpected jerks the rug out from beneath you. Setbacks happen in every life – and usually when you least expect them, right!
Research shows that setbacks and challenges occur frequently, both our personal lives and at work. In fact, it has been estimated that some major challenge shows up in the life of every person and/or organization every two to three months on average. The way you address these challenges, will ultimately determine your success or failure.
In fact, these apparent setbacks can be seen as a potential blessing in disguise. Along with the challenges they present, they also contain potential for enormous personal growth. The Greek philosopher Epictetus said that circumstances neither make nor break a person; they only reveal one to oneself.
Perhaps you find yourself backed into a corner with no solutions apparent. Or you feel as if the stream of challenges in your life never end; no sooner do you solve one problem, but you are confronted by another. What to do?
When you feel overwhelmed by challenges, it is important to remember that the ultimate purpose of life is your soul growth. Challenges will inevitably arrive within the scope of your learning and growth; the only part of the challenge you can control is your response. Your personal level of responsibility – your ability to respond – will help you rise to the challenge and continue to grow in knowledge, experience and maturity.
To stop the pain of resisting setbacks and focus instead on realizing your full potential, it is essential to learn how to effectively respond to setbacks. The better you become at solving problems, the more success you’ll experience.
One of the fundamental secrets to success is to focus single-mindedly on solutions rather than on problems. The more you think about possible solutions, the more creative you become and the more in control you’ll feel.
Success has a lot to do with your ability to solve problems. Right at this moment, you have within you everything you need to deal with every crisis you face. There’s no challenge you cannot meet, and no setback you cannot overcome by applying the appropriate strategy.
During times of setbacks and challenge, your natural response may be to withdraw or shut down. Instead, your primary responsibility is to rise to the occasion, face your challenges and strive to find a way forward.
Business coach and motivational guru Brian Tracy identified ten universal steps to manage and overcome setbacks, whether in your personal life or at work. These steps will get you out of any situation, so let’s take a look at them in more detail:
1. Stay calm. You have a wonderful mind that stores volumes of information you can access when needed. You also have access to a storehouse of emotions. Your thoughts determine the emotions you experience. When you don’t like what is happening, your first task is to control your thoughts and in so doing, to harness your feelings and emotions. Panic shuts down your neocortex, which controls your rational thinking process and pushes you into a fight, freeze or flight response instead. Don’t give in to knee-jerk reactions. See yourself as a winner and approach this problem as a test to see how you will respond. Frustrated expectations lead to negative emotions such as fear of failure and rejection. Recognize that you simply have not reached your expectations – yet – and that you do have control over how you respond to each setback. Interpret the challenge in a neutral way, and you will remain calm instead of hitting the panic button. Keep yourself calm by refusing to dramatize. This, too, shall pass! Instead of panicking, stay curious. Focus on how the challenge could be useful.
2. Be confident in your abilities. When faced with setbacks, the natural reaction is to feel stunned or to pull back. Don’t go there! Instead, remind yourself of previous times when you successfully handled challenges; recognize that you can handle this one, too. To rise above the problem, remind yourself that you can overcome it. No matter how big the setback, you can get up and start over. Yes, you can do it! When you focus on your toolbox of gifts and graces, you will become more confident.
3. Dare to move forward. Create a new vision; pluck up your courage to embrace it; then share it with supportive allies and go for it. Courage is not lack of fear, but control of fear. During setbacks, you need courage to control your fear and focus on new goals to get past the problem. Develop courage by facing your fears and doing the things you need to do. Courage follows courageous behavior. Decide what you need to do to survive and get past the challenge: reassess your options, get help to release past trauma, and then act courageously to move forward in the face of disappointment. Resolve to persist until you have solved the problem.
4. Get the facts. Accurate information will bring you calm, clarity and the ability to make optimal decisions. It will allow you to face reality, rather than the ghosts of what you’re afraid of. It is truth that sets you free, and not delusions, fantasies or stories. Avoid blaming; it is not constructive! The more factual information you have, the calmer you will feel and the more courage you’ll have for tough decisions. Focus on what you CAN do, not on what you CANNOT do; then remind yourself that whatever cannot be cured, must be endured. Never assume you have all the information or that all your information about the situation is correct; stay open to the facts. Facts don’t lie; once you have the facts, you’ll gradually find appropriate solutions and options to act on.
5. Take control. When experiencing setbacks, it is natural to respond with negativity or anger. These emotions are not constructive. Take charge of your emotions and thoughts, and then you will find the clarity to decide what to do. Taking control also requires that you take 100% responsibility for your life and responses to conditions. When you take full responsibility for your life and choices, you’ll also access your authority to make necessary changes. You will find the strength to move forward.
6. Cut your losses. To survive challenges, you need to be flexible. You must be willing to embrace change, even when it ‘s not comfortable. Don’t think in terms of win/lose; think in terms of the next step forward. About 70% of all decisions turn out not to be optimal, but they can be adapted or changed as you move forward. Knowing what you know now, what should you do differently to attract different outcomes? Get clear on that, then cut your losses and return to basics so you can start to rebuild.
7. Manage the situation. Setbacks are inconvenient, disruptive, scary and intimidating, but this is not the time to run away! Your survival is determined by how well you manage four things: you need to interrupt the dynamic, determine the scope of the damage, think in terms of solutions, and take action! To break free from fear, ask yourself what the worst possible scenario or outcome would look like; then apply your insight to the current situation.
8. Communicate constantly. A large portion of all problems are caused by lack of communication. During tough times, it becomes more important than ever for you to communicate to people around you what is happening and what needs to be done. Grab the bull by the horns and speak to others in your life about the situation you are facing. Confide in a trusted person or get professional help; the benefit of an outside perspective can be enormous during times of challenge.
9. Identify your constraints. To overcome setbacks, you need to identify constraints that are holding you back. Once your own goals and values are clear, it is easier to identify obstacles or limitations that keep you from moving forward. What is holding you back? When you identify that constraint clearly, you are able to resolve it. Research shows that a full 80% of constraints are internal (inside you) and only 20% are in circumstances outside you. By identifying constraints or excuses in your circumstances, you can eliminate them and step into your power. Relentlessly weed out these limitations and limiting beliefs, and you will become a magnet for success!
10. Tap into your Higher Power. Crisis is as good a time as any to start tapping into your Higher Power and access your limitless potential as a soul. Let this Higher Power within you burn through all obstacles and bring you to the outcomes you desire. When you’ve done all you can, your Higher Power will continue working to bring about the outcomes you desire: inner peace and optimal resolution of your situation. Take time to connect to your infinite soul, your Higher Power and your Eternal Source. Practice being still within and allow your Higher Guidance to speak to you. Sometimes your prayer may be answered as soon as you express it; other times, it takes more time. No matter how long it takes, keep believing, take action and you will see the outcomes unfolding in your life.
There’s no problem you cannot solve and no setback you cannot deal with when you focus on the resources you already have!
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit https://adaporat.com. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
by Ada Porat | Nov 17, 2014 | Body Mind Spirit, Change bad habits, Conscious living, Cope with change, Decision-making, Fear and anxiety, Life coaching, Life transitions, Mindfulness, Spirituality
Feeling stuck in life at this time? Frustrated? Take a moment to really feel what is going on. You are not stuck… you are simply constrained.
Yes, the old way of doing things no longer works, and you are trying to adjust to radical new ways of looking at life, doing things, and even living.
Outside yourself, the whole world is going through a spin cycle. Deep wounds in the collective psyche of mankind are surfacing, releasing both great horror and amazing opportunity. Societies hunger not for war or peace, but for Truth to cut through illusion and bring about spiritual healing at the deepest levels of being.
Never before in the history of the planet has there been such a clarion call for healing to avert global destruction. The time for dilly-dallying and empty promises is over. It is time to heal our world – starting with ourselves!
The truth is that, throughout this time of constraint and upheaval, there are unseen forces holding you steady while you learn to run this new kind of energy… the energy of oneness with Divine purpose. It is your Divine connection, hosted in a human shell. Long ago, before you ever came into this life, you chose to embody this energy at this time. It is your contribution to the shift of the ages, and now is your time to fulfill that agreement.
The energy of Divine oneness or unity is the most powerful force in the Universe. It is powerful enough to constrain you when you try to separate from Divine guidance at your core and assert your human will.
In the old way of life, we learned to accomplish goals by asserting our human, ego wills in the external reality. We were conditioned to be willful and determined, wanting whatever we chose to have when we decided to have it.
This way no longer works. When we push forward through our human ego in the new energy that surrounds us now, there are numerous obstacles constraining us.
To move past these constraints, we have to give up the drive to accomplish things by sheer force of will. Instead, we need to align with the power of All That Is. We need to surrender to trust: trust in the Divine, in Higher Guidance, in Spirit, God… whatever you choose to call the essential life force energy.
When we choose to trust, the energy of the ego yields and aligns to a bigger plan – the higher picture of Divine perfection. From that place of alignment, we are able to flow with creative energies to create a higher reality than we could have ever conceived of before.
It is no longer possible to more forward in ego and still make spiritual progress. The constraining force of Spirit will block your movement at every turn – the old ways of doing need to be surrendered to embrace higher ways of being.
Spirit will get you through this time of transition, no matter how difficult it feels. Those same unseen forces that hold you steady now, can and will lift you out of the illusion of despair. All it takes is for you to let go of the old way of using power, and to embrace the path of alignment – the pathway of trust and allowing.
We are living in a very different reality now than we were in even five years ago. The old life with its hopes and dreams, has been filed away in the archives of All That Is. To keep looking for it, merely deters our progress.
Instead, now is the time to embrace what shows up in your life moment by moment. Look for new ways to reframe things, new tools to do things with.
Go inward. Drink deep from the wellspring of life. Let the timeless wisdom and healing energy of sacred teaching wash over you to renew your soul. Develop a dialogue with Spirit and ask for guidance and clarity.
Stay present in the moment and allow the answers to flow to you through circumstances.
When action is indicated, do it. When circumstances open up for you, move forward. And when doors close, don’t try to break through them. Sometimes, we need to spend a while living in the in-between: learning to let go of the need to control, the need to logically understand.
At times like these, we need to ask ourselves what we really want and why…even as we surrender the need to know how it will come about. We need to simply align to the Eternal Presence and be present, be patient, and be still.
You don’t lack power. You are a powerful being. What you lack is remembrance. There is nothing wrong with you that complete remembrance will not heal. Like survivors who buried the unbearable agony of trauma beneath a layer of amnesia until they are ready to process it, we have chosen not to remember everything at once. As we proceed on the path we are shown, more is revealed to us. Through the integration and healing of each memory that surfaces, we reclaim our wholeness and power.
Powerful new healing modalities and tools for personal growth are emerging at this time to support our transformation. We are indeed blessed to live at this pivotal time in history – and this blessing carries with it the clarion call to learn, to grow, to heal and to transform our world. Do you hear the call?
For many centuries, mystics lived on the fringe of society. They did not mix with the masses or participate in affairs of the world. This has all changed. Today, the level of consciousness on the planet has tipped the scales to offer potential for unprecedented growth and change.
Spiritually awakened beings are called to participate in this worldwide shift by becoming mystics in the marketplace – not on the mountain or in the monastery. We are called to be the change we desire to see in the world, as Gandhi said.
To answer the call, you need to learn how to commune with your soul to access the inner guidance that is stirring there. Every change that you wish to see in society starts with you and the field of consciousness that you are holding.
You are called to be the very change you desire to see in the world, and you change the world around you through the power of your evolving consciousness. As you consciously evolve in response to the Divine nature within, you hold the higher energies of the life force field wherein everyone’s consciousness can evolve. In a world crying for healing, there is no greater service you can offer!
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit https://adaporat.com. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
by Ada Porat | Sep 30, 2014 | Change bad habits, Conscious living, Cope with change, Fear and anxiety, Gratitude, Life transitions, Mindfulness
Is it just me, or does life seem to be happening at a faster clip these days? At times, if feels as if we live our lives like passengers on a runaway train, distracting ourselves with small details while the outer landscape whizzes by at dizzying speed.
The frenetic pace of life is one reason why meditation – stilling the mind – is so necessary to ensure a less nauseating ride. It sometimes feels as if we’re witnessing a collision between the world we wish to live in, and the world that actually surrounds us. We may find ourselves stuck at critical junctions, faced with major decision points that we are not prepared for.
We may not even know what questions to ask when things go wrong, let alone how to navigate past the challenges.
How do we navigate thru all of it? Where is the delicate balance between setting intention, holding on to the dream, and surrendering attachment to the outcome? One thing is certain: holding on too tightly can make for a bumpy ride!
We may do all the necessary groundwork to prepare for a successful journey, and it may still not be enough. We may even feel all calm and confident, interpreting the signs along the way as confirmation of being guided by a Divine Hand until BAM! Something completely unexpected, inconvenient and even painful happens! How do we deal with this?
Let me give you an example. I’ve been involved in a minor building project (also known as a brilliantly disguised life lesson) that has escalated and morphed into a major undertaking for the past five months. The experience has stretched me far beyond my comfort level in many areas.
And I’m not talking about the minor inconvenience of noise and dust here… I’ve had a crash course in being a general contractor on a building project without any prior experience and dealing with the daily headaches of back-ordered materials, wrong deliveries, construction setbacks, inclement weather and work schedules, all while trying my level best to juggle these demands with the intense requirements of counseling and coaching in two locations.
Last weekend, the end of the project finally emerged within view – after three weeks of waiting in limbo, the manufacturer shipped the roofing material. I could almost taste the final stretch – and to celebrate completion of the project, I made plans. Yes, I’d worked intensely hard for months and finally, I was going to play for a whole weekend… I was going to sleep, rest, relax, catch up with some friends, read, sit on the deck and watch the sun set. I was so ready for a break!
Until life intervened.
Of course, in all my planning, I forgot about the Yiddish proverb that says: “Der mentsh tracht und Gott lacht” – indeed, humans plan and God laughs.
The roofing materials were delayed by another week. And then Hurricane Odile hit.
Now, I am very blessed that the eye of the hurricane did not pass over my home and destroy it; the weather system simply dumped buckets of rain across Arizona as it moved northeast. Once the rains started, it kept coming down in torrents. Parts of the state flooded as record-breaking rains pelted down, and flash flood warnings were issued statewide.
I listened to the rain pelting down on the unfinished roof, soaking through the temporary particle board and dripping onto the floors… the leaks turning into trickles of water that became steady rivulets… and still it kept on raining. There was nothing I could do but watch. The pouring rains steadily washed away my best plans for a well-deserved weekend of rest, replacing them with assessment for recovery and damage control.
I took some deep breaths… From experience, I knew that the question we tend to ask first is typically the wrong one: “Why? Why me? Why this? Why now?”
There is a better question to ask and I knew it, too. “How could this be useful? How could I best learn and grow from this?”
The answer lay in surrendering to what is, not resisting it. The roof was leaking, the rains were here to stay for days and there was nothing I could do about it, except surrender to what is. I could choose to resist and experience more struggle, or I could surrender to what is and trust in Unseen Hands lovingly watching over me… even in this situation.
As soon as I released the urge to struggle, I felt myself relaxing. In the midst of the chaotic, messy, half-finished project around me, I felt a sense of peace breaking through to replace the denser emotions of worry, fear, anxiety, frustration, and overwhelm. Even though I was faced with the inconvenient truth that the situation was not going to miraculously change, I felt calm and at peace. There was no need to struggle against anything; there was simply the awareness of what is.
Sometimes, life slaps us sideways despite our most sincere efforts at doing our part. As much as we’d like to believe we are in control, we are not omnipotent and circumstances have a way of showing us that. The unexpected happens, life interrupts our flow, and our best laid plans go wrong!
At times like these, it is important to remember that we still have a choice. We can choose to struggle or to surrender; we can choose to focus on what went wrong or we can celebrate what is going right. We don’t need to figure out the why; we simply need to master the how.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit https://adaporat.com. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
by Ada Porat | Jul 25, 2014 | Conscious living, Cope with change, Decision-making, Life transitions
No matter how complex the world we live in, we have the power to bring about change – starting with ourselves. At this very moment, you can take definitive action to change your life for better!
Are you stuck in a dead-end job? You can change that! Perhaps you feel trapped in a relationship dynamic where you rescue everyone in your life. You can change that, too!
Navigating change does not have to be difficult. It merely requires the willingness to let go of what no longer serves you and to embrace the possibilities that beckon.
What is the payoff?
The first step is to ask yourself what payoff you are getting from your current situation. Why are you staying in that dead-end job? Perhaps you’ve chosen to trade your creative freedom or true potential for a sense of security. If that earlier choice is no longer true for you, you can choose again. Perhaps being the rescuer in your relationships used to make you feel needed and important, but lately has been stifling. If earlier choices no longer serve you, it is time to make a change!
What is holding you back?
Next, ask yourself what is holding you back from making the change you know you need. What are you afraid of? Do you feel intimidated by the unknown territory outside your familiar environment, or are you afraid of failure?
Fear is a dream killer! If you want to live a fulfilling, juicy life, you cannot afford to let fear squat in the corners of your mind. You need to recognize fear for the measly illusion it is – False Evidence Appearing Real – and evict it from your life!
Are you willing to let go?
Recognize that in order to have something different – experiences, outcomes and benefits – you need to create space for it first. If you want to change your life, you need to let go of old, outdated dreams and expectations. You may need to let go of the fantasy that you could settle for a job that keeps you just over broke, yet deadens your creativity. Perhaps you need to let go of those draining relationships in your life that only take and never give anything back in return.
When we are stuck in our habitual biases and ways of seeing things, there’s little wiggle room to notice other possibilities. To bring about meaningful change in your life, you may also have to let go of the need to understand or map out everything before you act. The excessive need for certainty usually comes from fear. Let go of the need to control everything, trust in the Unseen Hands that lovingly guide you, and you will make space for new possibilities to emerge.
Stay the course
Finally, it is helpful to remember that changing your life is an organic process. It takes time, it can be messy and you may at times doubt that you’ll make it through to the other end. The more you release your need to control the process, the more awareness you will have the Field of potentiality surrounding you. Once you get out of the way, this Field of potentiality will be free to form and create the very outcomes you desire.
Resistance leads to crisis
Our tendency is to resist the need to change until it storms into our lives as a full-blown crisis. Crisis is not polite; it doesn’t ask for permission or schedule its arrival; it just shows up! Crisis demands change. When it shows up in your life, it demands that you leave behind the safety of the known for uncharted territory. It may completely disregard your terms and wishes.
Whether you are facing change or a full-blown crisis, why not try something new instead of resisting? Let go of the qualifiers and expectations you’ve placed on life to give you a sense of security. Your attachment intensifies your pain! Letting go of preconditions frees you up to embrace the process of change.
Crisis is merely unexpected change at an unexpected level and unexpected time. And change can be transformative, depending on whether you embrace or resist it. Give yourself permission to flow with the process of change in your life, and you will experience its transformative power.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit https://adaporat.com. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
by Ada Porat | Mar 25, 2014 | Change bad habits, Conscious living, Cope with change, Decision-making, Fear and anxiety, Life transitions, Spirituality
“Crisis is the dangerous breaking of glass that opens locked windows of opportunity that require perceptiveness and courage to move through with care.”
~Tom Atlee, Co-Intelligence Institute
The winds of change are blowing all around, exposing long-held beliefs and calling for a paradigm change. Do you have the courage and awareness to navigate these challenging times?
You have a powerful tool within you that can help you turn the most perilous situation into an opportunity for growth. It all depends on changing your perspective; how you look at things.
Wayne Dyer once said, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at, change.” It is by changing your perspective, that you tap into your potential.
Around us, many souls are held spell-bound by the fear and drama of a changing world. Worries about economic threats, political turmoil and uncertainties around the future have their blood pressure soaring along with their credit card debt. Fear has become a powerful tool in the struggle for polarization and can bog down efforts toward meaningful change.
No wonder that increasing numbers of people are seeking out pharmaceuticals to treat their depression and anxiety in an attempt to maintain functionality, while avoiding the deeper cause and ignoring the signal that something is wrong.
Clearly, when we look out at the world, it appears to be filled with broken systems and people that need fixing. But at the crossroads between the outside world and our inner landscape, the fixing needs to happen inside us if we ever hope to see it change out there. If we want things to change, changing our perspective needs to happen first – we need to change the way we look at things!
It has been said that evolution, like water behind a dam, knows where all the cracks are, and is working on them right now with increasing intensity.
Could it be that something new is trying to happen, seeking the transformation of the whole by requiring the healing of our individual cracks and weaknesses as individuals? Is it possible that the topsy-turvy world out there is out of balance because of an intensified spiritual energy seeking to reawaken the true values of the heart in us – compassion, generosity, forgiveness, and a desire to live in harmony with others?
I propose that the only way forward through this mine field is by changing your perspective. You need to acknowledge and even to embrace the challenges in your life as the messengers they are: harbingers of a Higher Truth that highlights the empty, loveless or meaningless places in your life that yearn for more meaning and truth.
If you continue to anxiously hold onto the way things were, resisting change and wanting no disruption in your life, you will also avoid the potential for growth and evolution, because your personal status quo is closely tied to the larger sense of malaise on the planet.
I remember being surprised years ago when I read Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore. He titled one of the chapters “The Gift of Depression.” I had to think about that.
What if you and I learned to suffer more effectively? How would things change for better if you could see problems and solutions as parts of the same coin, instead of failing to notice the opportunities offered by challenges? It requires changing your perspective.
In a world where everything is interconnected, the seeds of today’s suffering may well grow into the fruits that become tomorrow’s happiness. Think back for a moment: who would you be today if it weren’t for your suffering? Did the hardships not contribute to the deepening of your faith and the strengthening of your resilience? In fact, there is a jewel of awareness and growth offered in almost every tribulation.
It is the decisions you made at each point along the course of your life that determined the ultimate outcomes you are experiencing now. And how are they working for you?
If you want to experience different outcomes, you need to make different choices. Have you ever considered what might happen if you make different choices? Or embraced the unknown? Or if you dared to think out of the box and allowed for new possibilities to emerge? Or had the courage to go within, changing your perspective?
Ah, the sky is the limit! Your biggest obstacles are not the circumstances out there that you face; it is your inner resistance that is born of fear. And once you become aware of this, you can embrace changing your perspective, step out of fear and open your heart to the possibilities instead.
As you learn to step into the opportunity to make powerful decisions as individuals, I believe that you will also find the potential within to restore love, hope and unity to the wider world around you.
You could, as Tom Atlee suggests, “use your differences and challenges creatively, not simply as problems to avoid or solve, but as signs of new life pushing to emerge – and as invitations into a new, more whole tomorrow.”
In the coming days, it may be very useful to remember this invitation. Profound changes are ahead and your ability to move forward gracefully, rather than kicking and screaming, depends on changing your perspective.
When you choose to perceive problems as opportunities, you will find the courage to let go of the past and step into the rich possibilities of a future filled with potential to create the lives, the outcomes and the world you yearn for.
©Copyright Ada Porat. For more information, visit adaporat.com. This article may be freely distributed in whole or in part, provided there is no charge for it and this notice is attached.
