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Daily Question, April 15

How might my life change if I believed that what is happening offers an opportunity to learn and grow?

  • Malag

    I do believe. And it’s got me through some rough times knowing some growth will come of it. Part of that is a willingness to let life act on me and change me. It took the death of people near me to see that truth.

  • Ava

    I would be less fearful. I would be able to accept my mistakes. I would have the confidence in myself to move forward knowing that I have everything in me to improve the situation and be successful. Stress would become less prominent and I would live more in the present instead of living in the past.

  • Dusty Su
    I have for a long time believed this. It mostly has served me really well to seek purpose, learn lessons that produce bridges of compassion to myself and others, and find the silver lining in dark storms. It gives life, even its challenges, meaning. It can, however, serve me badly when it causes me to overthink things, become anxious, and put too high a standard of expectation to produce answers. I have learned to accept that s%Xt happens and there’s not always a good reason for it, nor a l...

    I have for a long time believed this.

    It mostly has served me really well to seek purpose, learn lessons that produce bridges of compassion to myself and others, and find the silver lining in dark storms. It gives life, even its challenges, meaning.

    It can, however, serve me badly when it causes me to overthink things, become anxious, and put too high a standard of expectation to produce answers.

    I have learned to accept that s%Xt happens and there’s not always a good reason for it, nor a lesson to be found. If I ride through the s%Xt storms with as much gratitude and fortitude as possible, often, in that place of acceptance and surrender, SHIFT happens though.

    Read More
  • devy

    I would be less stressed about what is going on around in the world if I look at the positive things and think of this as a once in a lifetime experience. Life is made up of both good and bad experiences and by looking at them as opportunities to learn and grow, our attitudes are different and a lot less stressful…

  • Bill Martin

    My mind would cease its relentless, “something’s wrong here” process and would be available for creative joy.

  • Hot Sauce

    If I remembered that what is happening is offering an opportunity to learn and grow, this would help me to see that the struggles I am going through are a blessing in disguise that will eventually help me to learn how to love through various trials.

  • Don Jones

    For the better provided I review each day’s end and see if today was better than yesterday.

  • Mica

    Maybe I’d stress out less when writing papers – that would be wonderful.

  • AjB

    I might feel more anchored, rather than scarily untethered.

  • GregC

    I would have a more positive outlook, feel happier, and have more energy & faith to embrace my challenges and subsequently “Live a more Joyful Life!”

  • Lauryn

    It’s quite obvious that what is happening for me right now offers an opportunity to learn and grow — if I believe that it can only lead to greater inner peace and happiness.

  • SK

    I would be soooooo busy!!!! I would not be able to get enough of the wonders and people and tastes and smells and sights. My life would be even more filled with awe . I would swirl and twirl and become so much more than I am now in body, mind and spirit. It would be good..

    • Mica

      Your life would be even more filled with awe – wow, SK, what a thought. Thank you!

  • Debra

    I would embrace the swirling change around moving into a new phase of life. I would welcome all the feelings it instills in me without fear. I would love and believe wholeheartedly that God will direct me as he/she wishes me to be directed.

  • Toni

    I am appreciative and attentive and listen with gratitude and a trusting heart when I believe what is happening offers an opportunity to learn and grow. I am not critical or suspicious but practice asking myself if what’s happening offers resistance or brings me into harmony with God instilling a sense of peace and ease and spiritual clarity or openness and wonderment.

  • Holly in Ohio
    I do believe what is happening is opportunity to learn and grow. I believe, that as humans, we usually don't undergo significant change or growth unless we are forced by circumstances. When we lose someone or our home or job or health... we grow. When Covid began and my kids (now 19-23) were anxious about it, I told them, "Every generation has some kind of challenge. This is yours." I told them about my dad going to war. I told them I am old enough to remember "duck and cover." They saw th...

    I do believe what is happening is opportunity to learn and grow. I believe, that as humans, we usually don’t undergo significant change or growth unless we are forced by circumstances. When we lose someone or our home or job or health… we grow.

    When Covid began and my kids (now 19-23) were anxious about it, I told them, “Every generation has some kind of challenge. This is yours.” I told them about my dad going to war. I told them I am old enough to remember “duck and cover.” They saw that through time people have had many very large challenges, and it helped them. They could feel from me, that we will get through this, too. Though this pandemic situation is new, they picked up that challenges are a part of life and we just adjust and deal with the circumstances as best we can, with thought for our community and actions to help others. With this managing of our own challenges and by stepping up, we grow.

    Read More
    • Mica

      ‘Duck and cover’ – is that when we learned to hide under our desks? And they figured out how many of us could fit in the gym locker room? I once asked my granddaughter whether she thought it was more scary to practice lockdowns or practice for a nuclear attack. Lockdowns are maybe worse, because shootings actually happen.

      • Holly in Ohio
        Yes it was! Cuban Missile Crisis and all that, and I remember adults pointing out to the buildings in town that had that yellow and black bomb shelter symbol on the outside that we were to run to... usually heavy buildings like the post office. The buildings are still there but I never noticed when the symbols disappeared. I'll put a link to a photo of the signs here: https://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/civildefense/sheltersign.htm I'm so grateful that peace and negotiations prevailed! ...

        Yes it was! Cuban Missile Crisis and all that, and I remember adults pointing out to the buildings in town that had that yellow and black bomb shelter symbol on the outside that we were to run to… usually heavy buildings like the post office. The buildings are still there but I never noticed when the symbols disappeared. I’ll put a link to a photo of the signs here: https://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/civildefense/sheltersign.htm

        I’m so grateful that peace and negotiations prevailed!

        Even into the 80’s people would speculate who was on the “survivor’s list” to go to underground facilities in case of all-out nuclear war if we ruined life on the surface. Creepy.

        Read More
        • Mica

          And now there’s still a little craziness about being able to emigrate to another planet! I think my memories are a little before the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is why ‘duck and cover’ didn’t exactly ring a bell. My thesis adviser’s house had a bomb shelter in the back yard where his wife worked on her PhD thesis. My thesis adviser flooded it once, forgetting to turn off the hose after he watered.

  • Cathie

    I hope that is how I live my life – that all experiences offer us a chance to listen, sometimes respond, always learn and grow.
    At times though life gets clogged with the inconsequential “stuff” that appears to demand out time, and I don’t give the consequential the time needed for this learning and growth experience.

  • Katrina

    When I first became familiar with the term “reframe”, I began, in my mind, literally picturing a frame around the situation in which I found myself – to frame it for learning, for growth, for looking through it with kindness or gratitude. It has helped me tremendously in my own life and in counseling others.

  • Carol
    Remember the character Rosann, Rosannadana on SNL? She used to say, “If it isn’t one thing, it’s some thing.” This question prompted that memory! Eckhart Tolle encourages use of the term “your life situation.” He says it is important not to turn a situation into a problem. I find that advice helpful and when facing challenges that trigger fear and negativity, I pray for wisdom. I literally ask myself, “What can I learn from this?” I try to refrain from labeling “what is happeni...

    Remember the character Rosann, Rosannadana on SNL? She used to say, “If it isn’t one thing, it’s some thing.” This question prompted that memory! Eckhart Tolle encourages use of the term “your life situation.” He says it is important not to turn a situation into a problem. I find that advice helpful and when facing challenges that trigger fear and negativity, I pray for wisdom. I literally ask myself, “What can I learn from this?” I try to refrain from labeling “what is happening” a problem. It’s taken many years to develop this perspective but it definitely makes it easier to navigate daily life. I saw this poem on Facebook and thought it a helpful reminder of how best to face each day.
    You came naked,
    You will go naked.
    You arrived weak,
    You will leave weak.
    You came without money and things,
    You will leave even without money and things.
    Your first bath? Someone washed you,
    Your last bath? Someone will wash you.
    This is life!!!
    So why so much malice, so much envy, so much hate, so much resentment and so much selfishness?
    BE KIND
    We have limited time on Earth don’t waste it in uselessness

    Read More
  • Butterfly
    Since coming to this understanding I have more joy in my life. Even the difficult times and this chronic illness have taken on new meaning. It’s the difficult times that are the biggest lessons and without this illness I would not have met all the people that have come to my home over the years to care for me. Some of them have been true teachers in the spiritual sense and a few of them have been sent to me to teach me resilience and inner strength despite physical weakness. Every day is full ...

    Since coming to this understanding I have more joy in my life. Even the difficult times and this chronic illness have taken on new meaning. It’s the difficult times that are the biggest lessons and without this illness I would not have met all the people that have come to my home over the years to care for me. Some of them have been true teachers in the spiritual sense and a few of them have been sent to me to teach me resilience and inner strength despite physical weakness.
    Every day is full of opportunities to grow and learn.

    Read More
  • Patricia

    I believe it; the challenge is to remember and live it in times of anxiety or stress.

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