Daily Question, March 7 If I become still and remind myself that every “crisis” is also an opportunity, what new insights arise to guide my actions? 42 Reflections Share Click here to cancel reply.Please log in or Create a Profile to post a comment. ADP2 months agoADP. Even when life pushes you back, you can tap the hidden resources of your human spirit. Trust your gut feeling and inner knowing, the wisdom is inside you and when honoring it, you will not go wrong. The proper use of knowing comes when you flow with your authentic feelings, embracing all the experiences you encounter in life as learning lessons rather than hardships. 3 Reply Michele2 months agoMicheleThank you, your reflection resonates with me. 0 Reply Ose2 months agoOseMay “I” be still, surrender and allow guidance, remembering the question “what would love do?” and do accordingly. 3 Reply Blossom2 months agoBlossomwithout a doubt, another variation of love 1 Reply devy2 months agodevyTo look at my crisis as a chance for personal growth. To remember that I cannot control everything that happens , there are outside forces that go on no matter what I do. Remember to accept what I can control and what I cannot and to know the difference.. 3 Reply KC2 months agoKCThe more quiet, patient and still I am, the better I am able to listen and hear, beyond ego and fear. Choosing best steps and taking action is the part where I get stuck. Breaking the action piece to small, manageable steps and accepting the steps as appropriate, adequate and enough is the invitation. Leaving the heavy lifting to God is another big part of it - rather than foolishly believing it is all up to me, and then doing nothing! Also reaching out to others, rather than tryin...The more quiet, patient and still I am, the better I am able to listen and hear, beyond ego and fear. Choosing best steps and taking action is the part where I get stuck. Breaking the action piece to small, manageable steps and accepting the steps as appropriate, adequate and enough is the invitation. Leaving the heavy lifting to God is another big part of it – rather than foolishly believing it is all up to me, and then doing nothing! Also reaching out to others, rather than trying to do everything alone. Lots to surrender, to keep looking and moving forward, rather than getting or staying stuck! Read More3 Reply Love Abundantly2 months agoLove AbundantlyThank you for sharing exactly how I felt. 2 Reply Linda2 months agoLindaI am helping a young Afghan refugee settle in the US. She needs help with almost everything, and it is easy to feel in crisis mode and overwhelmed some days. I need to sort out what I can (and can’t) help with, and learn to take a breath, consider the situation and determine a course of action before reacting. 3 Reply Ana Maria2 months agoAna MariaThank you Linda for making this possible! This is what I do for a living, for the past eight years I have being working with our Guatemalan refugees. As they arrived with their children in my community the work has been non stop. Please look at what else and who else you can partner with to help this family. The needs are huge, the crisis is long term. Noble work but it consumes our lives and souls, it is a gift to be part of the process with the families, please make sure you find time to sort ...Thank you Linda for making this possible! This is what I do for a living, for the past eight years I have being working with our Guatemalan refugees. As they arrived with their children in my community the work has been non stop. Please look at what else and who else you can partner with to help this family. The needs are huge, the crisis is long term. Noble work but it consumes our lives and souls, it is a gift to be part of the process with the families, please make sure you find time to sort out what you can do and how much to rely on others to do. What a blessing for this family to have you in their lives. I have you in my heart as you do this amazing journey with them. Blessings. Read More0 Reply Linda2 months agoLindaThank you, Ana Maria. I agree that it is challenging and non-stop. I am most definitely looking for other partners and that will be of great help. Thank you for the work you have been doing. Don’t forget to take care of yourself, too. 0 Reply Don Jones2 months agoDon JonesI was reflecting late last night on what has been unfolding the last while. The impact of Covid on those close to me, the floods that just never seem to end at the moment, the noises of war and incessant chatter about "national security" and how I am thinking about it all and acting as a result. I haven't been tempted to put a label on it - particularly "crisis". I am not sure what labelling it would achieve. It seems to be an openness that calmly just does whatever is needed right now. I don...I was reflecting late last night on what has been unfolding the last while. The impact of Covid on those close to me, the floods that just never seem to end at the moment, the noises of war and incessant chatter about “national security” and how I am thinking about it all and acting as a result. I haven’t been tempted to put a label on it – particularly “crisis”. I am not sure what labelling it would achieve. It seems to be an openness that calmly just does whatever is needed right now. I don’t feel the story needs to be any grander than that. Read More3 Reply Beth2 months agoBethSomewhere along the way I heard responsibility is my ability to respond, and it changed my view of obligations into gifts I have to share. If I shift from crisis mode to my ability to respond to an opportunity, I can see gifts and blessings available to help me through. 6 Reply Linda2 months agoLindaThis is very helpful, Beth. See my post above. 🙂 1 Reply Mica2 months agoMicaGood plan. Thanks 2 Reply csalt2 months agocsalt“Freedom What most often stops me achieving freedom is my tendency to be caught up in fears and expectations about what I ‘ought’ or ‘should’ be. My usual automatic responses tie me down and inhibit me from exploring new areas of growth. I ask and pray for a greater sense of inner freedom and that I might reach the fresh and challenging possibilities that God wishes me to realise.” This beautiful comment is on “Sacred Space” today. I plead for the grace to experience this inner freedom. 4 Reply Carol2 months agoCarolAfter reading everyone’s responses, I realized that crisis always offers the opportunity for self growth.. For some of us, me among them, it can take years to let go of “Why me?” My son has a saying: “Why not me or Why not you?” He’s wise and chooses to dance with the mystery. As Eckhart Tolle says, “Life is the dancer and we are the dance.” When “me” becomes “we” the choreography gets easier to embrace. The crisis in Ukraine is the result of one man’s “ME.”His EGO ...After reading everyone’s responses, I realized that crisis always offers the opportunity for self growth.. For some of us, me among them, it can take years to let go of “Why me?” My son has a saying: “Why not me or Why not you?” He’s wise and chooses to dance with the mystery. As Eckhart Tolle says, “Life is the dancer and we are the dance.” When “me” becomes “we” the choreography gets easier to embrace. The crisis in Ukraine is the result of one man’s “ME.”His EGO is (Edging God Out). A priest told me years ago that Jesus, The Christ, suffers and will until we all come home to the reality that we are ONE. I think of the song, “Where have all the flowers gone?” The lyric that asks “When will we ever learn? ” When we pray, let us pray not only for the people of Ukraine to save their country but also for the people of Russia to awake from their slumber. “Be Still (Desist) and know that I AM God.” The “me” chooses war. The “We” chooses peace. And so WE Pray. Read More4 Reply Ana Maria2 months agoAna MariaGorgeous! 0 Reply Michael Mac2 months agoMichael MacBeautiful! It’s just so. 1 Reply Barb C2 months agoBarb CAfter reading the comments of others, I look at the word "crisis" in quotation marks and think of those things we regard as a crisis in the moment and then look back at later, with perspective that makes them appear much smaller in the distance--in essence they never were a big crisis, they just felt like it in the moment. I distinguish between those painful turning points or learning moments and the kind of crisis Kevin describes: war, a major disaster, a horrific thing. Rather than think of...After reading the comments of others, I look at the word “crisis” in quotation marks and think of those things we regard as a crisis in the moment and then look back at later, with perspective that makes them appear much smaller in the distance–in essence they never were a big crisis, they just felt like it in the moment. I distinguish between those painful turning points or learning moments and the kind of crisis Kevin describes: war, a major disaster, a horrific thing. Rather than think of either of these as an “opportunity” in the sort of happy, positive sense that word often connotes, I can think of them as moments in which to try to be true to myself and the kind of person I want to be in the world. The more I practice that in everyday life with no crisis at hand, the more it is simply who I am and who I will be when a crisis occurs. We have the climate crisis before us and around us every day as an opportunity to rethink what we expect of our elected officials and corporations and what we can do in our own lives to express our values with intention. It’s also an opportunity to remake the world into a genuinely better place for everyone if we work together and tell others it matters to us. That’s an opportunity we can’t let slip or we are finished as a species. Not a new insight–one that’s essential for all of us to use to guide our actions. We are the ones we’re waiting for. Read More5 Reply Hermann-Josef2 months agoHermann-JosefWe are the ones, we are waiting for. 🙏 Thank you! 4 Reply Blossom2 months agoBlossomlove this simple truth 1 Reply Carol2 months agoCarolBeautiful…such wisdom. 3 Reply Charlie T2 months agoCharlie TAs I look back on different stages of my life, I am encouraged. It has taken me a long time to gain anything from past personal crisis, but there is the benefit of time. And I am better equipped. Staying calm, trusting my intuition, reaching out to others, and try to keep pride and ego from getting in the way. 3 Reply Laura2 months agoLauraA crisis reminds me to look for ways to be kind and to serve in any way I can. If I’m the one experiencing the crisis I try to remember to let others serve and help me. That is its own kind of service. I have a stubborn streak of self-sufficiency and it isn’t always easy to let others lend a hand. 3 Reply Hermann-Josef2 months agoHermann-JosefAs a single, seperate entity I am surrounded by the dangers of an infinite universe. Time for sure will take away everything. Things, beliefs, concepts, body. I came with nothing. I will go with nothing except the feeling I am a seperate entity. This is a horrorshow. May gods grace let me rest in him, who is in all of us , as peace, joy , love .. to know, to be one with everything reduces the feeling to be seperate. It encourages me to stay positive. Any crisishas a cause. I can do more than to ...As a single, seperate entity I am surrounded by the dangers of an infinite universe. Time for sure will take away everything. Things, beliefs, concepts, body. I came with nothing. I will go with nothing except the feeling I am a seperate entity. This is a horrorshow. May gods grace let me rest in him, who is in all of us , as peace, joy , love .. to know, to be one with everything reduces the feeling to be seperate. It encourages me to stay positive. Any crisishas a cause. I can do more than to pray. I must not have bad thoughts about someone else. I must not let animals be killed because I like to eat them. I think one has a lot of chances to do good to the world. Sometimes it means not to do, think, feel and so on Read More3 Reply Patricia2 months agoPatriciaI lived in Japan for some number of years and in my language study learned that the kanji character meaning “crisis” was made of two parts: one meant “danger” and the other meant “opportunity.” A crisis can go either way – or maybe, sometimes, contain a little of both. 8 Reply Mica2 months agoMicaThank you – that reminds me of the Chinese curse, Patricia – “May you live in interesting times!” And here we are – living in very ‘interesting times’ 5 Reply Patricia2 months agoPatriciaBoring never looked so attractive, eh? 2 Reply Mica2 months agoMicaMaybe I’ll remember that when I next get bored 🙂 I’m feeling like a rock in a rock polisher, but I have so little to complain about, actually 1 Reply Carol2 months agoCarolPatricia, Thanks for this. 4 Reply Mary Pat2 months agoMary PatI agree with Kevin. Not every crisis is an opportunity, initially. It takes time, and healing. Otherwise, people can easily-and rightly so-get stuck there. Now difficult situations are different...take my insomnia. THAT is a difficult situation. After being a patient at the sleep clinic, I found out it can be in your DNA. and it is in mine. My mother and grandfather suffered from it. They put me on medication years ago, but we had to keep increasing the amount. I slowly went off it and hav...I agree with Kevin. Not every crisis is an opportunity, initially. It takes time, and healing. Otherwise, people can easily-and rightly so-get stuck there. Now difficult situations are different…take my insomnia. THAT is a difficult situation. After being a patient at the sleep clinic, I found out it can be in your DNA. and it is in mine. My mother and grandfather suffered from it. They put me on medication years ago, but we had to keep increasing the amount. I slowly went off it and have suffered for years. COVID amplified the insomnia. So the opportunity came along to do some research on line. I have found that listening to Tara Brach’s anxiety class-there are two-have helped. Part 1 and Part 2. It has made a difference. I am in the early stages of learning, and also found changing the way I think about insomnia has helped as well. But I had to become still and listen to myself for these two things to work. My soul knows…I just need to listen…… Read More8 Reply EJP2 months agoEJP….”the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the Courage to change the things I can and the Wisdom to know the difference.” 8 Reply Mica2 months agoMicaYup – a good reminder, EJP – I’ve thought of that often but not for quite a while – ‘time to think about it again.. 2 Reply Carol2 months agoCarolWhat is IS! This saying helps me to look and see the opportunity in a crisis. It has taught me that I can trust Life and most importantly I can trust myself to let life show me the way. Going with the flow! 2 Reply Kevin2 months agoKevinI do not subscribe to the notion that every crisis is also a potential opportunity. Having done disaster response training and as a member of a sudden death response team years ago, it’s important to name what is happening, or what has happened clearly and accurately, as what it is—a crisis. It is painful, shocking, it hurts terribly, it’s frightening, and disorienting. Sugar-coating it with, “it could’ve been worse,” or, “something good will grow out of this,” at the point of cr...I do not subscribe to the notion that every crisis is also a potential opportunity. Having done disaster response training and as a member of a sudden death response team years ago, it’s important to name what is happening, or what has happened clearly and accurately, as what it is—a crisis. It is painful, shocking, it hurts terribly, it’s frightening, and disorienting. Sugar-coating it with, “it could’ve been worse,” or, “something good will grow out of this,” at the point of crisis, is happy talk and serves no one well. In fact, it frequently makes those impacted directly angry. Of course, people can eventually grow and become stronger from living through a crisis, but that requires time, lots of it, and frequently with the help, support, and love of many others around them. New insights may well arise, but even they require their own timelines, and the form they take may be unknown when in crisis. Read More11 Reply Mica2 months agoMica‘can’ is an operative word there, isn’t it, Kevin? People ‘can’ grow but don’t always grow, for may different internal and external reasons. 2 Reply Lee Anne2 months agoLee AnneI believe, too, that the trend to “sugar coat” is a means of detaching from the reality of what is happening. Today, we witness first-hand the carnage in Ukraine. There seems little we can do except pray, send relief, et cetera. People I know will not watch this reality. I do not suggest bathing in the news day and night, but certainly, we must see and “name” in our hearts the tragedy of what is unfolding. Will opportunity emerge from this? I don’t know. When just one human life is dis...I believe, too, that the trend to “sugar coat” is a means of detaching from the reality of what is happening. Today, we witness first-hand the carnage in Ukraine. There seems little we can do except pray, send relief, et cetera. People I know will not watch this reality. I do not suggest bathing in the news day and night, but certainly, we must see and “name” in our hearts the tragedy of what is unfolding. Will opportunity emerge from this? I don’t know. When just one human life is disposed of like garbage, it affects all humankind. Yes, I agree that time and how we care for one another can eventually make us stronger. I confess in the light of the tragedy in Ukraine that I do not see “opportunity.” I feel it is the wrong word. I equate the word with business, opportunism, and not a strengthening within us, hearts opening, care-giving going above and beyond. All of this is happening, but is that OPPORTUNITY or simply becoming a better human being? Thank you, Kevin, for your comments. I send my heart along with my prayers to Ukraine and elsewhere on our planet where war rages. 💜🌺 Read More4 Reply Hermann-Josef2 months agoHermann-JosefYou are so right. We always have to start from where we are at the moment. And we have to give what the situation is requiring. A true crisis will take away the ground under your feet and it takes time, support and grace to be able to recover. 4 Reply Mary Pat2 months agoMary PatWell said! And true, so true….. 4 Reply Michele2 months agoMicheleWhen there is a ‘crisis’ [war in Ukraine] an opportunity to guide my actions would be to try to help if I can. 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