No-one has
it easy, all of the time. You see that girl with a lovely smile and perfect
teeth on facebook? The one who posts photos of herself where she´s always
glowing and radiant? She doesn’t have it as easy as you imagine. You know that
woman you went to school with, who has an immaculate house, three beautiful
children and a well-paid job? Well neither does she. Neither does the richest
nor the most spiritual guy you know. In fact, everyone’s fighting their own
battles. Some are minor, others are great big monster battles that are
consuming on every level. Life is not always plain sailing, and at some point,
each one of has to face something they’d rather not. Pain and suffering, they
say, are an inevitable part of the human experience. Whether it be a hard
conversation with your boss; discovering your partner has been unfaithful;
being told that a loved one has been involved in a fatal car accident; or being
diagnosed with terminal cancer, you know what? Although we may not see it at
the time, each and every small or large battle you face is an opportunity for
spiritual growth. When we are faced with hardship and suffering, we are forced
into delving into our own inner resources in order to survive. We may be
surprised to discover inner strength we never knew we had, or wisdom,
forgiveness or compassion. When we emerge from battle, these are the qualities
we bring with us.
Facing
life’s challenges with openness and understanding in place of mis-directed
blame and anger, allows us to shift our experience of upheaval, pain and
suffering into an opportunity to know our strengths more fully; and to approach
all of our relationships, including that with ourselves, with a greater
awareness and empathy, bringing radical change into our lives.
So next time you feel the world is crashing down around you, or you are silently screaming, “why me?” allow yourself to smile from within and know that this experience is shaping who you are meant to become.
Millie Brereton is a certified yoga teacher, fitness and nutritional advisor and general lover of life. She is the founder of The Kula Centre of Learning and Personal Development and co-founder of Project Huerta. She lives in rural Northern Spain and delights in nature, Tantric philosophy and seeing the good in everyone who crosses her path. She can often be found in her kitchen blending juices and cooking up tasty treats from her organic farm, or bounding through the mountains with her two dogs, Bonnie and Kin. You can connect with her by visiting her webpage,www.thekulacentre.com or connect with her on facebook.