Spiritual Practices Offer Peace and Acceptance
By Teresa Proudlove
Posted Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Facing career transitions and daily life challenges can leave us feeling lonely, stressed and anxious. How do we manage to deal with the financial and emotional stress of having a home, a car, work (or no work), kids and a spouse in this too-busy world?
Spiritual practices can help us navigate through the turmoil of work and life transitions with more acceptance and peace.
Below, I shall introduce three simple spiritual practices which can help us live life from a more supportive, comforting perspective.
These practices can help us shift from habitually reacting to life’s problems, to walking a path of more peace and acceptance. However, before introducing these Spiritual Practices, we need to realize this is not about fixing ourselves!
We Do Not Need Fixing
Self-improvement and much of the network marketing industry bombards us with the ideas that if we fix or change our beliefs, attitudes, old wounds, thinking, goals, financial situation then we will be O.K. or a success.
We are further burdened with blame and shame for supposedly having created our so-called “lack or negative situation” with our thinking, beliefs or unaddressed childhood hurts.
These egocentric doctrines hurt us. Where is the room for God’s infinite plan, our soul’s work, indeed our lifework; within such narrow thinking? There is much at work, far beyond our control or our imagination, shaping our lives.
At times, we are but frail dust swept within the winds of change. During these difficult times, like career changes and lifework challenges, we need compassion for our human condition… not self-incriminating lectures.
Paradoxically, there is an element of truth in the school of thought that our beliefs, thinking, attitudes and old hurts can affect our quality of life. Holding seemingly irreconcilable opposites like these at the same time, is part of our soul's journey. Clearly, though, our lives are not a problem to be fixed and we are not to blame for every life occurrence.
“Events occur because conditions are right, and your action only contributes to one of many conditions.” Lieh-Tzu
Often I hear people lamenting their lives; saying they should be further ahead in their careers, relationships, financial situation, and even in their self growth.
Yet, creating change involves much more than decision-making and setting goals. We are planting the seeds which grow our being. Often we have to grow into the being which can make the changes we wish to have. Growing a being is the work of a lifetime not ten-easy-steps-to-a-new-you.
This is why career change or any type of life transition can take much longer than we planned. The more time I spend on this planet, the more I realize how very little is really within my control and how rarely things work out according to my time line.
More and more, I am aware of the hand of God orchestrating life, with us but players upon a great stage. Wherever we are right now, is exactly the place we are meant to be. Yes, we are OK right now.
This doesn’t mean we have to hopelessly accept harmful or unworkable situations in our life. However, there is a flow and timing to all things. Disdaining our lives and believing we can only be happy when we have the great career, lose fifteen pounds, find the right love, make more money… does not facilitate change or happiness. It only creates more discontent. We can only experience peace and well-being now, in this moment.
Spiritual Practices Offer Peace and Acceptance
Following, is a brief outline of three spiritual practices using the acronym ABC, which can foster our sense of well-being and peace - now. At times, acronyms for learning can seem overly cute and annoying, however, I could not ignore something that was revealed to me in prayerful meditation.
The first practice, “A = Ask for Help,” begins with calling upon our higher power for help. The second simple practice, “B = Breathing Being,” reminds us to return to our breathing, our bodies and our God. The last step in this trio, “C = Call for Compassion,” teaches us a kinder, more compassionate way of dealing with life, ourselves and others.
Also, practicing these spiritual ABC’s has shown me the value of using simple, easily remembered practices during stressful, angry or frustrated moments and dark days. May these spiritual precepts add goodness and peace to your life - as they have to mine.
Spiritual ABC’s
A = Ask for Help
* Ask God for Help: “Please help me navigate through this. Thank you for helping.” God is always here. We often need to reconnect.
* Help Yourself by Living with Gratitude: Give thanks to God for everything and everyone, always.
* Reach Out to Others: End your isolation by reaching out to others for help.
B = Breathing Being
* Breathing In and Breathing Out Ten Times: Everyone has time for transformative, ten breath countdowns.
* Be Still: “Be still and know that I am God.” Stillness is the doorway to God.
* Being in the Body: Through being still we begin to hear our bodies’ needs and learn to care for our bodies, now.
C = Cultivate Compassion
* Pray for Compassion: “Please, God, help me find compassion here. Thank you for helping me.”
* Seek the Big Picture: When we are angry or frustrated with ourselves or others we need to reach for a larger perspective. Ask, "What is really important here?"
* Reframing the Story: We continually spin one-sided stories in our mind explaining every situation which often, has little to do with the greater truth of a situation. Try asking, "How else can I see this?"
For a more detailed account of the Spiritual ABC's visit Teresa at (http://www.yourlifework.com/SPIRITUAL-HELP.html).
About the Author
Teresa Proudlove has been inspiring, supporting, and guiding over 3000 people upon their lifework path for over fourteen years - with compassion and heart. Visit Teresa at (http://www.yourlifework.com); listen to your inner guidance and navigate through life and work with more acceptance and peace.
