#1 Know You Aren’t Alone
I know what it’s like to get so stuck in your head that you think you’re all alone in your struggles. I have deeply connected with thousands of people from all over this planet and one of my greatest takeaways has been that we are all facing our own “demons”.
The Buddha’s first teaching after attaining enlightenment was The Four Noble Truths. The First Noble Truth is “Dukkha”, which translates to “life is suffering” or “life is unsatisfactory”.
This teaching seemed disheartening to me when I first learned it. As my studies have evolved, I can see the beauty in the teaching. While we are here on this planet, we have conditions and conditioning. We are all interconnected in our humanness and our suffering.
Something about this Noble Truth brings a sense of peace. We are not alone and we always have access to the support we need.
#2 Accept Your Current Circumstances
I know it can be hard to accept where you are sometimes. As I mentioned, last year was ROUGH for me. I was trying to crawl my way out of everything that I was experiencing. I wanted nothing to do with it.
It takes the courage of a warrior to sit with pain and accept it.
I know it can be super uncomfortable to be present with your emotions and current reality. Another Buddhist teaching is that aversion leads to suffering. When we’re avoiding our current reality, we are contributing to our suffering. There are going to be times when action is required and other times, non-action.
Accept your situation with love and release judgment and self-condemnation. You don't have to accept it forever. It's okay to desire change. Accept the situation as it knowing that it won't be that way forever.
Practice Exercise
Sit in silence and think about one troubling circumstance in your life that you have no control over.
Notice what it would be like to release the aversion to it. Notice what it would be like to melt into it and surrender. What would it be like to fully accept the way that things are? What would be possible for you if you let go of the need to control? What could you do with the energy that's freed up from accepting how things are?
This one is the most challenging...Are you able to find any possible goodness that is coming from this circumstance?
(You can also use these reflection points in your journal if you prefer writing over meditation)
#3 Keep Going, You're Doing Great
1% better every day is all you need. Life is not a race to get anywhere. You’re here to enjoy the process. Rather than piling a bunch of giant unreasonable expectations on yourself, just take ONE SMALL STEP towards a better version of yourself and then CELEBRATE yourself for taking that step.
Heck, I remember a time in life when being one percent better just meant getting out of bed. That evolved to flossing ONE tooth. Don’t beat yourself up about where you are. Take that small step and celebrate it!
Additionally, release any comparison to others. Each person is on their own unique journey and where they are has nothing to do with you unless it inspires you and you’re able to use that inspiration to fuel action and change.
Love,
Whitney
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