Reflections

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  1. Robin Ann
    Robin Ann
    1 week ago

    One thing that comes to mind for me is human angels appear in my difficult times. My prayers may have been answered or some sort of guidance appears. It is how I found this site.

    1. Avril
      Avril
      1 week ago

      I love the expression, “human angels.”

  2. Cathie
    Cathie
    1 week ago

    Wisdom from difficulties?
    I suppose I have learned that: this too shall pass, sometimes with or sometimes without action by me and so when able, I have learned to start again.

    1. D
      Drea
      7 days ago

      Thank you for sharing your perspective of learning to start again–it feels humbling and open to read this.

  3. sparrow51014
    sparrow
    1 week ago

    If it were not for the difficulties I’ve encountered in my life
    I would not be on the path I’m on today . . .
    the hard times,
    the painful times
    have worn me down
    and honed off most of the sharp edges of my nature.
    It took a long time in the tumbler to smooth me down.
    Others have done their time
    and came out of the troubles quickly,
    and with much wisdom,
    but I was stubborn and insistent,
    and so had to be tossed around a bit more,
    for me to learn my lessons.

    I have an old black and white picture of myself
    when I was about four years old wearing my denim overalls . . .
    there is a silver pin of a donkey
    stuck into the left side of the bib,
    so I have documentation
    that stubbornness
    has been with me for a long, long time.
    Now though,
    it serves me well.
    Back then,
    I wanted what I wanted
    and I wanted it now.
    Today
    it has mellowed into persistence.
    I plant the seed,
    nourish it,
    water it,
    give it sunlight and warmth,
    and no longer poke and prod to see if anything is happening . . .
    I no longer demand answers or results in the moment,
    but work patiently and with determination,
    willing to wait with due diligence
    until the flower blooms on its own . . .
    I did not make it grow;
    I facilitated its struggle to live. ♥

    1. D
      Drea
      7 days ago

      I no longer demand answers or results in the moment,
      but work patiently and with determination,
      willing to wait with due diligence
      until the flower blooms on its own . . .

      Beautifully put, Sparrow. I myself find it hard to stay determined when things take years to happen! Dear Sparrow, where does your determination come from? Is it to see what comes out of the ground, what the flower looks like?

      1. sparrow51014
        sparrow
        6 days ago

        I don’t know where my determination comes from,
        dear Drea . . .
        perhaps partly from my innate stubbornness?
        I wasn’t always
        (and still sometimes not)
        patient,
        but yes maybe
        “to see what comes out of the ground.”
        Curiosity killed the cat . . . 🙂

    2. Michele
      Michele
      7 days ago

      “It took a long time in the tumbler to smooth me down.” – I love your writing and how descriptive you are. I can picture it all in my minds eye.

      1. sparrow51014
        sparrow
        6 days ago

        I wasn’t sure,
        dear Michele,
        if anyone
        would know what a tumbler was 🙂
        but that’s how I saw it too.

    3. Avril
      Avril
      1 week ago

      Wise words, Sparrow.

      1. sparrow51014
        sparrow
        1 week ago

        Not my own wisdom,
        dear Avril,
        but a little access
        to the wisdom of the Universe. ♥

    4. Joseph
      Joseph McCann
      1 week ago

      “I facilitated its struggle to live.” This line, dear Sparrow, reminds me of Eckhart Toole speaking about all life and that all life will encounter challenges and complications in that life’s time.

      1. sparrow51014
        sparrow
        1 week ago

        I have learned so much from Eckhart Tolle,
        dear Joseph,
        and often go back to his books.
        And yes,
        it gives me comfort
        that I am not alone,
        and that I need to let Life
        do its own work. ♥

    5. Carol Ann Conner
      Carol
      1 week ago

      Sparrow, I can relate!

      1. sparrow51014
        sparrow
        1 week ago

        Thank you for this,
        dear Carol . . . ♥

  4. A
    Antonia
    1 week ago

    “Life goes on because it has to— time doesn’t pause for our pain.”
    I’ve learned I have to keep going not because I feel strong, but because life demands it.
    Sometimes it’s just about putting one foot in front of the other, trusting that even the smallest steps will eventually lead me forward.
    Just by doing, life finds a way to continue and I find the resilience to stay in it.

    1. D
      Drea
      7 days ago

      “Just by doing, life finds a way to continue and I find the resilience to stay in it.” — So very true. Thank you Antonia.

    2. Barb C
      Barb C
      7 days ago

      Sometimes the only way out is through.

    3. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      1 week ago

      Amazing,
      isn’t it,
      dear Antonia,
      how that works?
      You are wise
      and you are strong. ♥

  5. Charlie T
    Charlie T
    1 week ago

    One thing that I’ve learned, for sure, is that your liabilities can become your assets. In the long run,
    the things that you have to develop work arounds for, can give you unique skills and perspective on things. Ya just never know how it’s going to work out in the end
    It’s Friday, and the sun is just hitting the top of the olive tree in my little yard. The latest migratory birds have arrived and are doing their thing in its branches.
    I hope you all find some joy and peace today.

    1. Patti
      sunnypatti
      1 week ago

      Thanks for this, Charlie.
      And hope you find joy & peace today as well!

    2. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      1 week ago

      ”One thing that I’ve learned, for sure, is that your liabilities can become your assets. In the long run”

      I realized the truth in this
      as I was writing my post,
      dear Charlie.
      It was worth noticing.:)

    3. L
      Loc Tran
      1 week ago

      Charlie, my biggest liability came in the traditional Asian value system. Getting past my rebellion days is why I’m able to receive care from many different angles contributing largely to why I’ve done so well without Ngoc by my side. For me to evolve gives hope that anyone can do it. Russell Wesbrook, my favorite basketball player for a long time, could have easily been a quality all-star today winning multiple championships with LeBron and Anthony Davis in LA had he chosen to work on his weaknesses. He only adapted out of defiance, and it hurt the Lakers and his career. I have a lot of Russell Wesbrook in myself for better and worse. Not to long ago, at one point, fear of becoming like Russ in my own life is one of my motivations for addressing my rebellion and defiance.

  6. pkr29022
    pkr
    1 week ago

    I have learned so many things from the difficulties in my life, so many not sure if I can name them all.
    A few that come to mind:
    This too shall pass.
    Keep moving forward.
    I am a lot stronger than I know.
    I am resilient.
    Practice self care, so important always.
    Be grateful for it all, good & not so good.
    The Universe loves me & supports me.
    I am not alone.
    Never never never give up.
    🕊️🩷

    1. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      1 week ago

      I have had trouble with the ‘giving up’ part of it,
      dear PKR,
      so I know it can happen.
      That is why my trust in the Universe
      is not total,
      but you give me hope
      that it might be . . .
      thank you. ♥

    2. L
      Loc Tran
      1 week ago

      PKR, rebellion, resentment, and regret, which I call the Triple R, are some of the biggest killers.

  7. Mary
    Mary
    1 week ago

    From difficulties in my life I have learned that I will get through it, and I will be okay.
    I will have to live with actions that I take, but all I can do is try to do the right thing.
    In retrospect, I can see that it helps to zoom out and try to see the big picture,
    because in the middle of hard times, the situation feels all engulfing.
    – My intention today is to be present.

    1. D
      Drea
      7 days ago

      “I will have to live with the actions that I will take, but all I can do is try to do the right thing.” Yes. Sometimes things feel so consequential and potentially earth-shattering. Your words are a good reminder that each of us only has so much control. Thank you Mary.

      1. Mary
        Mary
        6 days ago

        Thanks for being in conversation, Drea, about the topics we discuss.
        We can put out our ideas and bounce them off one another.
        It is so enriching for me, Drea, to relate to you and others who are interested in reaching out to each other in this forum.
        🥰

  8. Carol Ann Conner
    Carol
    1 week ago

    I’ve learned that Life is trustworthy and I will be shown a way. I’ve also learned to trust myself. I’ve learned that there is a part of me that has never been afraid and I can call it forth. I’ve also learned to call on the strength of my ancestors and to do my best to be/stay in the NOW.

  9. Yram
    Yram
    1 week ago

    I will come out on the other side.
    That this difficulty will not be the last.

  10. D
    Drea
    1 week ago

    Imagination is really powerful. There are forces that want to corrupt, colonize, and deaden imagination. Cherish and cultivate imagination.

  11. Patti
    sunnypatti
    1 week ago

    I deserve to be happy.
    I can do hard things.
    I am stronger than I think I am.
    I do not have to be the person others expect me to be.
    Unkind people are unhappy and it’s not my responsibility to fix them.
    Love is stronger than fear.
    It’s never too late to begin again.
    Meditation helps with everything.

    1. Michele
      Michele
      7 days ago

      100%

    2. Mary
      Mary
      1 week ago

      This is wonderful, SunnyPatti! Thank you.

      1. Patti
        sunnypatti
        7 days ago

        Thank you as well!

    3. Carol Ann Conner
      Carol
      1 week ago

      Thanks, Patti

      1. Patti
        sunnypatti
        7 days ago

        🙂

  12. L
    Loc Tran
    1 week ago

    Building from the root is a wisdom I’ve gained so far while Ngoc is in Vietnam. It’s helped me in quite a few areas. My life feels simpler and more complete all-around. I can receive care in many different ways. It’s easier to form a foundation around my core values in order from: integrity, autonomy, simplicity, adaptability, to diversity.

    1. Carol Ann Conner
      Carol
      1 week ago

      Rooted in Love!

      1. L
        Loc Tran
        1 week ago

        Exactly, Carol, free from agendas. It’s good to know the strings, but don’t pull them. Maybe the phrase has existed, but I call it “String-pulling.” I define that as someone using backstage manipulation. The first thing that jumps out is personal gain. Being a string puller is the last thing we want to be known as. String pulling has evil vibes.

  13. EJP
    EJP
    1 week ago

    I have gained the value of patience and trust.

  14. Joseph
    Joseph McCann
    1 week ago

    Stay the course with peace, love and kindness.

  15. Avril
    Avril
    1 week ago

    Good morning. I feel as if we’ve had a derivative of this question recently—it’s worth repeating. The difficulties I’ve experienced, while too personal to share, have instilled resilience and gratefulness. The resilience comes from enduring and learning the extent of my patience and creativity. The gratefulness comes from myriads of resources revealed only in crisis and from the deep release when crisis is over. I’m never inviting difficulty; however, I know I’m tenacious.

    1. D
      Drea
      1 week ago

      “The gratefulness comes from myriads of resources revealed only in crisis and from the deep release when crisis is over.” Avril, it sounds like you have a way of experiencing and processing crisis that is remarkable. I think there is a pull in society to see things as one never-ending crisis, but you seem to know how to release when the crisis is over, and also parse out what is a crisis and what is not. I would like to learn more from you about how you do this, if not now then one day. Like Josie, I’m inspired.

      1. Avril
        Avril
        1 week ago

        Thank you. I believe deeply in impermanence. This too shall pass– not is a Pollyannaesque way. All passes, the pleasant and the unpleasant. In this ebb and flow we have to hold tight to our values like gratefulness and mindfulness. We are only guaranteed that the outer world will change. Gratefulness and mindfulness keep me anchored to the unchanging Reality (with a capital “R”) underneath the ups and downs.

        1. D
          Drea
          7 days ago

          Thank you Avril. So many things feel permanent, but to your point, nothing is. Have a wonderful weekend.

    2. Josie
      Josie
      1 week ago

      Well-said, Avril. I admire your attitude towards life & it’s challenges. You inspire me.

      1. Avril
        Avril
        1 week ago

        Thank you Josie. I am a work in progress.

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