The tiny seed knew that in order to grow, it needed to be dropped in dirt, covered in darkness, and struggle to reach the light.

 

I think it is easy to see struggles and difficulties in our lives as troublesome and not want them because they are a source of discomfort. However, I think there is so much more to our individual experiences than just how we judge them. Calling something good or bad, no matter what it is, is arbitrary, I've found. What might be good one day is bad the next depending on my mood. But when I step back from a situation and stop trying to judge it, I can instead see what good it can bring to  my life. If some situation triggers my fears due to past memories of similar experiences, then I can see it as an opportunity to work through that fear. If I find myself feeling shameful about a situation, I have an opportunity to address that shame, and so on. I try, today, to focus on how I can grow from a situation rather than complain about whether it is bad or good. Instead, I try to see situations as opportunities for happiness and opportunities for growth.

A meditation for September 9, 2013 .

Imagine – John Lennon