No one, but NO ONE is immune to pain, suffering, and difficulty in life. Even if you are feeling happy, hopeful, and trouble free, it goes without saying that at some point in time, trouble will come knocking at your door. This is a natural experience in life, and we would do well to face it with honesty.
It is also natural in time of difficulty, to retreat from the very things that sustain us: like love, joy, and gratitude. Like our animal ancestors, we have the instinct to find a dark and lonely corner in a cave, and lick our wounds. “Tomorrow,” we tell ourselves, “tomorrow when I feel better, I will come back to gratitude. I will return to joy. I will reach out and connect with those I love. When I feel better, I will laugh again. I will smile again. I will listen to the birds singing outside my window and feel joy.” We feel that we will be capable of receiving support, worthy of receiving goodness, when the trouble has passed.
But why wait? The birds are singing right now. Your friend is waiting for you to call so they can help you feel better. And the brilliant light of the sun is shining on innumerable reasons to feel grateful. (continued below)
We’re going to have bad days. And weeks. And months even. But there are moments of pure goodness. Moments of deep joy. Moments of profound gratitude that we can create. And like a star that shines in the darkness, they illuminate our dark times. They even create beauty. And they can sustain us until the sun is shining brightly again.
You know that you want to be happy. To be relaxed. Joyful. Peaceful. Courageous. Strong. So find moments to do that. The more moments of light we find to connect with, the more light shines in our dark days. We do not need to wait to be illuminated. We can draw back the curtains ourselves and be reminded that the light of illumination is waiting for us.
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