Seeing the Forest through the Trees

INTRODUCTION Believe it or not, what provokes us to cry makes us stronger. It has been hard for me to understand this as I’ve spent many years weeping over the unfortunate events in my journey through this life. Holding too tightly to the past without understanding its true value had prevented me from living a joyful life. This concept, this dream of being happy was just that…a fleeting dream that I could not make true. I had been stuck in this mindset for so long, asking myself questions like, “Why me? Why can’t I be happy? Don’t I deserve more? Am I paying some kind of karmic debt? Why have I been forsaken? Why am I here and what’s it all for?” These thoughts brought on incredible bursts of self-pity. I sat quietly and asked for guidance, which had become quite a ritual, talking to the air hoping that someone or something was listening and would help. I didn’t wish to be a victim anymore of the ‘poor me’ syndrome that most of us seem to possess. I realized that we are all connected no matter how different we seem to be, through our suffering. We share our stories with each other for various reasons. Sometimes it’s to vent. Sometimes it’s to project our baggage onto other people. Other times we are just looking for support so that we may be comforted in the hopes of feeling better. I started listening closely to the pains of other people and finally paid attention to the whispers that I have been ignoring all my life. Write. Write it all down and share it! Use it to help someone! For a long time, thoughts like, “But who gives a crap about me and my story? What makes me so interesting that someone would even care to read this?”, sabotaged any motivation to follow through. Finally, I decided to rid the fear of the unknown and trust my gut. With that, I thought of the old saying, “You can’t see the forest through the trees,” which essentially means, “You don’t get it! You’re not seeing what’s right in front of your face!” This became the inspiration for the title of this book. What is life like when you DO see the whole picture? Every single one of us is so beautifully unique and special. We have tremendous value! I’m hoping that by sharing my story, it will inspire and help others to see and live the awesome life that we are all meant to have regardless of what we were and where we came from. As we look at our true selves, we learn from one another. Most of us are aware of that annoying voice in our heads that never seems to shut up. It conjures all sorts of distorted images and takes us on a daily journey through the realm of non-reality, leaving us feeling all kinds of negative emotions thus ruining our mood, our day, our relationships, our motivation, our life! We are all personally responsible for the depth of our own suffering and don’t realize that we have the power to move mountains! I have been on a path to higher awareness my entire life. There has always been something deep within me that craves mindfulness and elevated truth. I like to think of myself as a student of life hoping for good grades. When I don’t pay attention, or do my homework I find myself lost and falling behind, finding it necessary to seek out tutoring to get caught up. Sometimes it comes in the form of a book. Other times it comes in the form of talking with a friend or to God/universe/source/all there is ... whatever you wish to call it. We have all received a lot of baggage from the conditioning of our parents, people in general and the environment around us which tends to lead us searching aimlessly for answers. As I look at things now I see that I have the power to undo all that has been done to me. It’s extremely empowering to know that this strange being called ‘me’ has been formed from all that has passed … good and bad. What makes us cry DOES make us stronger. By reflecting on these things in a neutral frame of mind, we undo the damage that others have created for us. We don’t need to be sad or angry on a regular basis. We can be rid of fear and anxiety. We can stop blaming others and take responsibility. Ultimately, we can identify our strengths by examining our roots, reclaiming them, and putting all the other crap to bed. Nothing HAS to be difficult anymore!