The condition of the ethical life

"To be a good human being is to have a kind of openness to the world, an ability to trust uncertain things beyond your own control, that can lead you to be shattered in very extreme circumstances for which you were not to blame. That says something very important about the condition of the ethical life: that it is based on a trust in the uncertain and on a willingness to be exposed; it's based on being more like a plant than like a jewel, something rather fragile, but whose very particular beauty is inseparable from that fragility.
" 

- Martha Nussbaum

Lean in...

In life, we think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem. The real truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together for a time, then they fall back apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It's just like that.

Personal discovery and growth come from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.

Suffering comes from wishing things were different. Misery is self inflicted, when we are expecting the "ideal" to overcome the "actual", or needing things (or people, or places) to be different for us so we can then be happy.

Let the hard things in life break you. Let them effect you. Let them change you. Let these hard moments inform you. Let this pain be your teacher. The experiences of your life are trying to tell you something about yourself. Don't cop out on that. Don't run away and hide under your covers. Lean into it.

What is the lesson in this wind? What is this storm trying to tell you? What will you learn if you face it with courage? With full honesty and - lean into it.

 

- Pema Chodron

The flow of life

"We must look at the lens through which we see the world, as well as at the world we see, and understand that the lens itself shapes how we interpret the world." - S. Covey

 

con-tent-ment [kuhn-tent-muhnt] noun

1. the state of being contented; satisfaction; ease of mind.

 

Everything in life is about perspective. My perspective defines how I view the world, situations, opportunities, events and circumstances. Life is in the eye of the beholder. Feeling content with life, at this moment, right now, is most deffinitely the key to being at peace. And, enjoying my own unique life journey to the fullest. It defines the life I am living. And there actually is no where I would rather be, than right here. Right now.

 

"Becoming a great enjoyer, a great doer and a great renouncer will result us in leading a content and peaceful life." - Unknown


Love,
Saraï