In or Out

 

“You’re either in it, getting out of it or going into it!”

A reality check statement from one of my favorite speakers of all time – Les Brown. That and “this too shall pass” . . . because it shall. Whether that be sickness, or health, wealth or poverty, hunger or satiety . . . nothing comes to stay; seasons rotate. Why should this matter to anyone? Three things – gratitude, mindfulness and empathy.

When we live in gratitude, no matter whether we are in it, getting out of it or going into it, we are likely to have a realistic view of reality and actually see that there is always something to give thanks for, someone doing worse than we are and that we are still here. If you give thanks for what you have as a continuous practice, you are less likely to have a distorted view of reality when the scales tip south.

Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment. Most people’s minds are caught in their worries, their fears, their anger and their regrets. This is a state that Thich Nhat Hanh called a state of forgetfulness, the opposite of which he taught was a state of mindfulness. He taught 5 exercises to practice mindfulness, among them mindful breathing, concentration, awareness of your body, releasing tension and walking meditation. Do you ever stop to consciously take in a breath?

Empathy is the ability to identify with or understand another's situation or feelings. When we live without a realization of the reality that life is lived in cycles of seasons, we are unable to empathize with our fellow human beings because we don’t realize that today they may be the ones whose shoes are pinching, tomorrow it will be us. And the shoe may not necessarily pinch at the exact same spot, but we all have our highs and lows. Empathy is the reason why we commiserate with our fellow human beings at their low points because so long as we are on this side of heaven, only God’s grace keeps us from destruction. Accidents are never planned for nor subscribed to.

The Serenity Prayer is a favorite reminder that I am not in charge of everything that happens to me and as much as I have control over a small sphere of influence, sometimes I have to employ wisdom to surrender to the valley of the shadow of whatever giant is in my present, knowing full well that this too shall pass. And when there is only sunshine and no giants, to remember to look up, soak in the sun rays and sing a song of gratitude with the birds, because summer does not last all year.

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

and wisdom to know the difference.”

 

“Worry does not keep it from raining tomorrow, but it does keep it from being sunny today.” ~ Shannon L Alder

Comments

  1. BTOApril 27, 2022 at 10:20 PM

    That and “this too shall pass” . . . because it shall. Whether that be sickness, or health, wealth or poverty, hunger or satiety . . . nothing comes to stay; seasons rotate. We look forward for bad seasons to pass, but we are always shocked when good seasons pass. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you...Acknowledging God's goodness even when we can't see it...or Him.

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