In my blogs and writing I have made a lot of references to storms. How in our lives we nearly
always find ourselves either approaching a storm, in a storm or leaving a storm.
This can be physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially, professionally.
Often, these storms are out of our control and out of our reach. Some storms we simply must
survive while others we can forecast coming long before they hit. this helps so we can divert
our course to only catch the side of the storm which has less impact on our lives. And
sometimes they hit without any warning at all. One moment we are fine, the next we are
struggling to keep our head above the torrents.
Either way, total avoidance of these storms is impossible. You need to be ready every day.
If a storm has just ripped apart one area of your life eventually you must pick up your
valuable belongings, cash in the insurance claims (typically these come in relying on friends
to help) and patch up your house if you can. Sometimes that is not possible, and we must start
from scratch.
Life’s challenges are part of the human condition and none of us are immune from the
ravages of existence. They arise for reasons we cannot understand and can leave us feeling
like a wounded bird, with a broken wing. Taking the boards of our windows and letting in the
new light may take a while but it will come. All the while allowing careful reflection on the
last storm you faced.
What did you learn from it? What areas do you need to improve on for when the next storm
comes and what can you do before it arrives to avoid facing the full impact of the impending
storm?
Getting ready is where you build up resilience, grit and perseverance as a person.
It is your training period. When the next storm hits and attempts to ravage, you must trust
your instincts and preparation that you have done to know that you will survive and come
through the storm stronger and more resilient.
The power of the mind is, indeed, a powerful thing.
The key is to tackle today’s problems with today’s strengths. Don’t start tackling tomorrow’s
problems until tomorrow. You do not have tomorrow’s strengths yet. You simply have
enough for today. But to keep moving forward one day at a time is the key.
Unlike before where I worried about weeks in advance, I now very much take each day as it
comes, and I am thankful for what I can still do.
The Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths, that happiness can be attained if we relinquish our
cravings and live each day as it comes. Bliss is attained when we let go of satisfying our
personal needs in place of allowing life to flow through us.
We must appreciate we are ultimately not in control. Knowing this, we surrender to universal
forces and trust our experiences are shaping our destiny. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think
we are hopelessly barrelled along by Faith. I mean mental and emotional detachment from
preferred outcomes.
But there are some things we can control and some things we can’t.
My encouragement for you today is this: Whatever storm comes your way