Of course you opened this blog because YOU are indeed a lover. You are a lover of sunrises and sunsets. You are a lover of opportunity. Are you a lover of people, but only when they fill your needs in the moment?
I say this because it’s hard to love what doesn’t feel good. In my experience, what feels good is wonderful, but it’s not always what we need. Sometimes what feels bad is a blessed opportunity in disguise.
As we grow in awareness and look back on our lives, the hurts have accumulated and the suffering has been real. We have only two choices; bitterness or transformation.
Option #2 isn’t the easy road. It’s much easier to blame life, people and be “oh-so-misunderstood". But if you are really a lover, you will gradually learn that the transformational opportunities in hurtful experiences are deep and our focal length has to increase to see beyond the suffering.
My Uncle Shah once said, “In my 80s I look back at life as I’m living it.” At the time I smiled politely, but I didn’t get it. Now I see that he meant once we’ve been through suffering and expand rather than contract, the next painful thing that rolls along is weathered much easier. (You may have to read that a few times!)
Valentine’s Day is coming up… There’ll be chocolates and flowers; awesome! But if we are true lovers, we understand that the activity of love is alchemy, accepting challenging life events is the training grounds of a loving Coach.
With love (of course),
Rosanne Bostonian