Doing Life

[citychik]

Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths.
It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we
transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult--once we
truly know and accept it--then life is no longer difficult. Because
once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.

M. Scott Peck



How many difficulties do you find in your life? We have problems with relationships, finances, jobs, cars, hobbies, addictions, decision-making--in short, just about everything. But how many of those difficulties do we make even larger and more intense because of our perspective, because of the way we see them? I know that in my life, many of my most difficult moments have been caused by my own view of situations, not by the situations themselves. I've missed meetings at work and have agonized all day over what the repercussions would be, only to find out that there were none--everyone understood why I missed.

I'm growing closer to accepting that life is difficult, and I now see most difficulties simply as a part of life and as opportunities for me to learn and to grow as I work my way through them, rather than as obstacles in my way that are going to cause me many problems. Now that I accept that fact, the difficulties seem to be fewer, and the challenges are more manageable.

This is going to be a good year. And yes, there will be many difficulties in it, for you and for me. Accept that fact, and the hardships will be fewer and less intense. Acceptance of difficulties allows us to relate to them in a much different way, just as acceptance of a person allows us to relate to that person in a much more positive manner.

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How do you see difficulties in your life? Do you accept them as learning or teaching situations or wish they would go away?

What would your life be like if you had no more difficulties? Would it be a positive change, or a negative one?

Have you grown more as a person when dealing with difficulties or when life has been flowing smoothly?

[Rusty Zipper]

Life is as difficult i as choose to make it....

not long winded, just to the point for me...

[Butterfly Woman]

How do you see difficulties in your life? Stepping stones

Do you accept them as learning or teaching situations or wish they would go away? [color]learning or teaching situations[/color]
[color][/b][/color]

What would your life be like if you had no more difficulties? Would it be a positive change, or a negative one? [color]negaitve as I would cease to grow or learn[/color]

Have you grown more as a person when dealing with difficulties or when life has been flowing smoothly? [color] Not only have I grown as a result of challenges and difficulties but more importantly my faith and trust in the God of my understanding deepens....whereas if everything went smoothly I would have tendency to become complacent and take things for granted..[/color]

[Angel09]

I am so fortunate, I have very few difficulties in my life right now. My Husband has a good job that pays well (although he would love to retire) we are still fortunate. Many people today don't have the things we have and many do have a lot more, but it doesn't matter not to me anymore. The further I get into the steps. The less things bother me, because I'm living in the now!! Because that's all I have. And for that I am grateful.

[citychik]

I like Scotts view that once we accept a difficulty we transcend it. This has been the case with my alcoholism, and acceptance is the answer to all my difficulties today. Like Angel I don't have too many difficulties in my life at the moment. And I'm grateful for that.

[citychik]

To me, the essence of keeping the soul nourished is obedience to one's conscience. I don't think that the soul can be nourished unless people have a strong sense of conscience that they have educated and developed and soaked in the universal and timeless principles of integrity and service. This way, the individual's soul becomes part of the universal soul of service, contribution, and making a difference.

Stephen R. Covey



What is my conscience? Some call it the "still, small voice within." Others say that it's the voice of God inside of us, that's supposed to keep us on track. Some say that we all have a conscience, while others say that some of us may not have them, which might explain deviant criminal behavior. I know that I have one, though I couldn't explain to you exactly what it is.

What I like about Covey's passage is the focus on the idea that people can educate and develop their consciences. That's something that I'd truly like to do, for I know that my conscience lets me down sometimes--or rather, that I don't listen to my conscience at times. I don't know why I ignore it--perhaps I don't trust it completely? Perhaps I'm afraid that if I follow my conscience, I'm going to miss out on something important and/or enjoyable.

Maybe the question that I have to explore is how to educate and train my conscious mind to trust the conscience, no matter what. Maybe the best thing that I can do for myself is learn to keep in mind the fact that my conscience truly is an important part of who I am, and that I should do my best always to listen to it and trust it, rather than rationalizing and coming up with reasons not to heed what it's telling me. After all, it is a part of who I am, and not paying heed to my conscience is, in theory, not paying attention to a higher part of myself, even if I don't understand exactly what it is.

I do need to train my conscience, and I need to make sure that it doesn't hold on to thoughts and ideas that are based on ways that I used to think, and things that I used to believe. But I also need to be sure that my conscience isn't just a lonely voice in the wilderness of my mind, but a wise friend who is an important part of who I am.

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How can we "train" our conscience?

[Rusty Zipper]

with training wheels?

[kasia9752]

Rusty

What I learned is I do not train my conscious; I follow the guidance of HP and he allows my conscious to grow and expand

[Rusty Zipper]

ut-oh!

[citychik]

Good point kas..it's really about listening and awareness.