Own Your Power

***November 7*** From Pain to Wisdom Wisdom needs a very quiet space in which to nest, and is oftentimes preceded by pain: painful events, painful bodies, and painful lives. Pain is like a traffic cop. It stops us dead in our tracks and makes us pay attention. We have to obey. It can, because of its intensity, absolve us of responsibility. While we stop to nurture ourselves, we cannot possibly take responsibility for others. We have limited resources on which to draw, and we cannot get well until we pay attention to our limitations. Pain may sometimes screech us to a halt. We can no longer do that which we have been doing, and can no longer think that which we have been thinking. However, we always have the option of changing our behaviors and thinking new thoughts. We can change our minds about our priorities. As we differentiate between our ego mind and our Spirit mind, we learn to distinguish between that which was important then, and that which is important NOW. How many of us lament that we would delve more deeply into spiritual matters, if only we had more time? Pain gives us that “time,” since often we cannot do anything else as we recuperate from a debilitating illness or injury. Ask the pain: What are you trying to tell me? What is the purpose of this pain? Why is it here? Is there a new direction that I should take? You may be astonished by the answer. Pain connects us to Spirit quicker than anything else, if we listen to its message. Pain gives us access to our Spirit mind and allows us to hear that which previously we may have been unwilling to hear. To access our Spirit mind, we have to be out of our “ego” mind. According to Spirit, what the ego may see as the greatest tragedies, are in effect some of the greatest growth spurts that we experience. Nothing is a tragedy. There are no victims. All is part of a grand Divine design of cause and effect. Our Spirit mind recognizes that. Pain gives us a different perspective about the “hits” in our life: those comments, people, and events that used to make us feel uncomfortable and unstable. We learn to handle the “hits” differently. We understand that everyone comes from their own perception. We cannot alter someone else’s perception, but we can expand our own. We realize that what we thought was important is no longer important, and we choose to put greater emphasis on that which we value and cherish, rather than that which other people think, say, or do. When ego “hits” come forth, what has changed NOW is the way I react to them. They do not ruin my day, my night, my sleep, or my special event. Yes, I have changed! I used to get sucked down the rabbit hole every time anyone looked at me cross-eyed, since I always felt that I was doing something wrong. My personality went into a sulk and did not come out for several days. I accumulated hurts along the way, and stuffed them back into my body. YUCK! What a sad way to live. This has all changed. Now I simply chalk off the “hits” as belonging solely to the person speaking. I allow the other person to be in the space in which they are, and continue to stay in a space of peace and compassion. I do allow the “hits” to flatten me or to cause me to feel off balance. Pain is the ultimate healer. We have three choices. We can heal ourselves by turning a new corner in our life, or we can continue to do what we have been doing all along and live a life of debilitation in body, mind, and spirit, or we can die. Since there is no death, this is the ultimate healing. We return to our real home or to another plane of existence; to whatever level of consciousness that we have created for ourselves to continue our journey towards the Source. Even when we are recuperating from an illness or from some tragedy that has gripped us, we are capable of experiencing peace. Peace, understanding, and wisdom are all points in our crown; the area of our energy field where all virtues reside. Peace (one of the by-products of wisdom) may enter our mind, even under the most trying circumstances. Where peace lives, wisdom and understanding also reside, since they are companions of peace. Pain can lead us there. Have you had an opportunity to experience wisdom as a result of pain? Pain can play a great part in bringing us to wisdom.