Vlog: Life Happens

"Life is simple,  Everything happens for you, not to you.  Everything happens at exactly the right moment, neither too soon nor too late."  Byron Katie

I'm not sure I'd say life is simple because it can be quite difficult at times, but Katie's saying that everything happens for a reason, I do believe.  It' may not be appreciated at the time, it may not be comfortable to go through, but it is not to be resisted.  Resisting just makes things worse.  Remaining in the present and dealing with what happens moment to moment helps resolve issues faster and easier than fighting them or pretending they aren't happening at all.

"Life doesn't happen to you, it happens for you." Tony Robbins

Rather than freezing in fear and getting discouraged, use life experiences--good and bad--as a learning experience.  To grow and shine.  To live meaningfully.  To live the life you are meant to live.  To be the person you are meant to be.

For example, when I was born with spina bifida, I wasn't supposed to live past the age of six.  I'm not 56.  While, yes, I have had difficult times over the years, I also made a point to learn as much as I could about my chronic condition and how to care for myself.  I even, a three years of age, explained how to do a cut down, which is when a needle has to be sugically inserted into the vein.  I also learned to care for my foot ulcers at home until I could get to a doctor at a young age.  All sorts of things.  Also, I learned how to "find the funny" as I called it in whatever I was going through healthwise.  Not to make light of a serious situation, but to cope healthily with it.  And, take what I've been through, use spina bifida as a catalyst for empathy and caring for others.  

There is so much division in the world, but there is also lots of love.  You only have to look around you and on the news during this pandemic to find stories of total strangers reaching out to help each other.  Bad times can be sad, frightening, challenging, overwhelming, but they also can help us exhibit the best in ourselves, observe the best in others, find a new appreciation of our fellow human beings, learn, grow, and even totally transform our lives in ways we never imagined.

How have your life experiences affected you?  What have your learned about yourself and others so far during this pandemic?  What will you do with what you have learned?  

Stay safe.  Stay home.  Be well.