When I started my “spiritual quest” at the beginning of my physical debilitation, I searched for new ideas, beliefs, and mantras that would help me cope with my new state of being.
It’s not easy to go from being an independently functioning adult, to being a sick, hurting adult, who needs to rely on others just to get through the day.
For me, for the most part, emotional hurt is far more painful than physical hurts. So, that’s why I began a quest to figure out how to deal with how my physical decline changed my life.
I found many spiritual leaders who professed ideas that just did not resonate with me. For example, I could not believe the belief that “everything happens for our benefit,” and that therefore we should “be grateful for all we experience.” I also could not always “stay present, no matter what,” because my present was hell on earth, and all I could do to survive it was to distract myself with something I enjoyed (such as music or tv/movies).
So, I kept searching for people who were more real and practical, but who were still inspiring and uplifting. I found a bunch of leaders who “told it like it is” (which is what I aim to do). Their messages DID resonate with me.
For instance, instead of their saying that “everything happens for our benefit,” and “we should be grateful for all we experience,” they said things like, “we can learn from everything that happens to us,” and “what happens to us shapes who we become.” These types of beliefs felt right to me, because I WAS actively learning from my illness, and it was changing my life’s direction (I don’t know that I ever would have started a website and blog without my illness story shaping who I am).
The most important part of all I’m saying, though, is that we deprive ourselves of happiness and growth if we force ideas, beliefs, and mantras onto ourselves. Forcing them only makes us feel uncomfortable and unhappy. We need to choose what feels naturally right to us, as individuals. THAT is what helps us learn from everything that happens to us, and be shaped into our new and improved selves.
I ask you, then, to think about where in your life you may be forcing an idea or belief. What could you let go of, and what could you replace that inappropriate (for you) idea or belief with?
Try to choose what feels right for you, and then let us know your thoughts and feelings in the comments below! We could all use some tools to find what resonates best with us, as individuals.
Here’s to repeating, without pressure, beliefs that are right for YOU.
All my love and hugs,
Steph
Ps. Do you know someone who’s struggling with finding a new belief system to enhance their life? Please pass this post on to them, and help guide them to an easier, and more successful, path!
Pps. “If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
-Steve Jobs
