It is nice to be back to my blog after life recently got in the way of my well-laid plans. I am referring to an illness within my family that somewhat disrupted my schedule over the past few weeks. How do we deal with such disruptions? After all, life gets in the way for all of us from time to time, and can thwart our best efforts to stay on track with our own agenda. My immediate and initial reaction to this unexpected mini-crisis was at first some denial of the facts, followed by resistance. Questions like ‘why now?’ and ‘why is this happening?’ indicate resistance to what ‘is.’ Suffice it to say that neither response leads to either good feelings or a successful outcome. Resistance is needless and self-inflicted suffering and denial is counter-productive and stressful, like procrastination. Despite our wish that things might be different when life interferes with our plans, we can choose to feel like a victim or respond to the actual facts of the situation before us and be pro-active in what action steps are needed, with which to navigate most successfully through the unexpected turn of events. In truth, though, while I chose to be pro-active and chose to take the high road, and to do what would be in my highest good and in the best interest of all concerned, choosing the self-loving and loving way is not always easy. But, so long as we struggle or rail against what is, we prolong our suffering. In Conversations with God, by Neale Donald Walsch, we are instructed to be first and foremost self-centered. ‘The most loving person is the person who is Self-centered.’ (page 124). ‘I tell you this-putting yourself first in the highest sense never leads to unGodly acts.’ (page 132). The mistake is to do things in a relationship out of a sense of ‘obligation.’ Bottom line: we can be loving only by mastering the ability to be self-centered. This suggests we must know our motives, and be aware of our purpose in all that we do in our relationships. My ultimate decision to be as helpful as possible and to provide some care-taking services to a beloved family member, was based on a very conscious decision: I wished to do what was in my highest good and what truly reflected the person that I wish to be, the Who I am. Although this decision is very self-centered (in the sense that it is self-serfing as well) this awareness and motivation lead to what was the most loving result for me and for the sick member in my family-for all concerned. I highly recommend Walsch’s book. It promotes personal freedom, clarity around relationship concerns, love of others and, above all, love of self and inner peace-all guaranteed, when mastered, to help us ‘go with the flow.’ Laila Beaudoin, Personal Success Coach, Montreal www.innerpeacenow.ca Tel: 514-697-6087
When Life Gets in the Way: Go With the Flow
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