There is No Value in Struggle (Really, there isn't)

I’ve been seeing a lot of quotes lately that indicate that, if there is no resistance on your journey, then you are making it too easy. If you experience some sort of struggle in whatever you are journeying towards, (career, relationship, weight loss…blah blah) then it’s more worth it.

Here are 6 words I want you to remember throughout life: There is no value in struggle. 

If you are experiencing resistance/struggle, it’s because you are not aligned to your desire and you have decided to paddle upstream. Life is unfolding before you in the most beautiful way, and you have decided to buck your own current because you don’t believe the Universe can give you something better than what you have been getting. Instead, we muck around thinking that pointing our boat upstream is how we get what we desire. You know that saying: Go with the flow…that’s what life is supposed to be like. You know that song, Row, Row, Row Your Boat… yeah, you get the picture. 

An acquaintance of mine said this to me recently: “We project human failings and shortcomings onto the Universe, and then expect it to faff around and let us down in the same way that humans can do. Change it all with the belief I TRUST GOD/UNIVERSE TO SORT IT ALL OUT.” 

Certainly, there will be contrast on our journey, but this helps us to expand even more. But don’t wallow in the contrast because that’s when you continue get more of the unwanted. Realize you want something better than what you are getting and turn toward that. Become vibrationally aligned with that. 

It doesn’t mean that what you are doing won’t have effort involved. Of course it will! Just make it enjoyable effort. Get aligned with it and make it fun. If it’s causing you pain or sadness, you’re not aligned with your desire. 

Dan Millman said: “Pain is a relatively objective, physical phenomenon; suffering is our psychological resistance to what happens. Events may create physical pain, but they do not in themselves create suffering. Resistance creates suffering. Stress happens when your mind resists what is... The only problem in your life is your mind's resistance to life as it unfolds.”

I couldn’t agree more! 

Are You a Victim or Participant?

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” 

― Oscar Wilde

Many of us wander through life, just going through the motions, constantly asking ourselves, "why are we here?" When negative situations happen to us, we tend to become the victim. We sit and wonder, "Why me?"


Does this sound familiar?

What if we had the option to switch it around? What if, instead of looking like the victim, we decide that we are the participant in life's unfolding? What if, in every moment, we decide how we want to participate?

Ask yourself daily, "What experience do I want to create?"

Isn't this the most freeing thought ever?

We create our experience by how we want to feel. By doing that, we either create deliberately or by default. Typically, we get so stuck in the old vibration, we don't realize that we are creating by default. We either offer up a vibe that we choose, or we offer a vibe that we are used to, and then feel like puppets that are being manhandled.

The point of all this is that we are here for the experience. We get to choose the experience every time we roll out of bed, and all we have to do is adjust our vibration; adjust our emotions to it.

I heard this quote the other day and it was an a-ha moment for me:

"You aren't creating money, you are creating YOU in the financial experience." Abraham-Hicks.

This can be applied to everything: career, relationships, spirituality...it is all the same.

How do you want to feel in your life experience? Many will say they want to feel happy, excited, abundant, full of love, but can't figure out why they aren't getting it. It's because they have built up a vibration that contradicts what they want. What we need to remember is that it's going to take time and focus to get a different vibration going. Just like when we decide to lose weight, learn a musical instrument, or how to ride a bike--these things take time.

There will always be contrast in our lives. By contrast I mean when something happens that is the opposite of what we want. People usually call this 'struggle' and think that if they take the path of least resistance, they will find their trophy or statue commemorating their struggle.

There is no value in struggle. If you are struggling, then you are not in alignment with what you want. Anyone who says there is value in struggle is either selling you something or hasn't figured out how to align to their own vibration. 

However, there is value in contrast. Once you experience the contrast, it is up to you to use that as your bouncing point to greater things. You feel crappy because your spouse is not acting how you think they should act. Take that icky feeling, which is the contrast, and decide how you want to feel. What other people feel has nothing to do with you. It's their own thing. You and how you feel has everything to do with you.

You know that line, "It's not you. It's me"? This is exactly what vibration is about. Anything we have going on has everything to do with our own vibration. When we fix the vibe, we fix the situation.

We are always clarifying, growing, expanding, and wanting more experiences. Our vibration is what gets translated into a physical response.

When you see yourself as a participant in life; when you realize you get to choose what you want so you can experience life to its fullest, life will begin to flow much easier for you.

Namaste

Life is Supposed to be Fun...Suffering is Optional

The other day I was thinking about life, which I often do. How to make it better, make it richer (in all areas) and experience the things I want to experience. Then I thought to myself, why am I not living it? Certainly, there are things that I want to do that will require certain resources, like money, but there are ways to enjoy life that I can enjoy right now.

So, why can't we have fun? Why are we always worried? Especially when worrying is non-productive.

There's a song by Trooper called We're Here for a Good Time; it goes like this:

We're here for a good time

Not a long time

So have a good time

The sun can't shine everyday

"But," you say, "but, I have this going on and this and this...I can't have fun! Life is serious. Life is unfair. My life sucks! If only I had this and this and the other thing. And if he/she would do this for me or say this, then things will be better. But till then, I can't have a good time!"  

But. But. But...you could but yourself to death...it still doesn't change the fact that Life is Supposed to be Fun.

I love the following excerpt from an Abraham-Hicks workshop. It puts into perspective the belief system of most of the planet:

"We love the feeling of this stream. So many humans--you take your boat down to

the river's edge and you point it upstream and you begin paddling very hard. And

we say, "But wait! The stream's going thataway. Why are you trying to go

THAT-a-way?

And you say, 'Everyone virtuous and hard working does this. We go

this way. It's hard. Of course, it's hard, but nothing good is easy.

  

You have to pay a price for everything. And so, we're really good at it. Look

how good we've become at struggling against the current.'

And then you go on to explain all of the reasons that you do it, all the

monuments, and trophies are given to those who try really, really hard. And,

'After we die,' you tell us, 'AFTER WE DIE, that's when the REAL reward for this

struggle kicks in.' And we say, 'NO IT DOESN'T. NO IT DOESN'T.' There

is not a reward later that is different than the reward now. There's not a

punishment later, that's different than the self-punishment you are applying

NOW.

There's you becoming, and you going with who you've become, and not. And that's

all. And you don't even need to worry about it."

Basically, the only struggle, the only suffering is what we put on ourselves. Either we like the negative attention, or we feel it's karmic payback for a past life we don't even recall; or we feel if we work hard enough, we will get our reward; or we enjoy the victim mentality; or someone instilled this belief system into us and that's the way it's supposed to be; or....well, fill in the blanks.

Photo credit: Tamara Hanson

So, how does one let go and have fun? Here are ten ways that Abraham-Hicks suggests:

• Seek joy --- first and foremost.
• Seek reasons to laugh.
• Seek reasons to offer words of praise --- to self and others.
• Seek beauty in nature, beasts and other humans.
• Seek reasons to love. In every segment of every day --- look for something that brings forth within you a feeling of love.
• Seek that which uplifts you.
• Seek opportunity to offer that which uplifts another.
• Seek a feeling of Well-being.
• Know that your value can only be measured in terms of joy.
• Acknowledge your absolute freedom to do any of these things or to not do any of these things --- for it is, without exception your choice in every moment of every day.

"That is the recipe for eternal joy. And it will provide a format for a life of dramatic, magnificent creating also. That feels like the "bottomline" to you: "How much success, or how much acclaim...how much value can I offer here and now?" And we are wanting you to understand is that your value can only be measured in terms of joy."

Fact is, Life is Supposed to be Fun!
Suffering, of course, is always optional.

Arguing for Your Limitations

Contrast helps you to identify desire. Desire is summoning. It's always flowing through you. You have the opportunity of opening to the harmony of the vibration of your desire or not. As the desires are being summoned through you, and you go with the flow, you thrive, but if you use things to be your excuse for not going with the flow, you are arguing for your limitations. We want to show you how to go with the flow. Which means nothing more than finding vibrational harmony with your own desire, and letting the Universal Energy that your desire is summoning to it flow to it through you. It is optimum creative experience.--Abraham-Hicks

Are you arguing for your limitations? Are you putting up a fight to defend those limitations that hold you back from achieving what you want out of life? The question you have to ask is: Why? Why are you arguing for your limitations?

You are a limitless being. You are the creator of your own experience. You can be, do, have whatever you want. So, why put up a fight?

Here's another question: Has arguing for your limitations gotten you anywhere? Has it produced a positive result? What has arguing for your limitations done for you lately?

When you begin to really understand your power as a creator of your own experience, you suddenly see how the Universe is trying to help you. When you realize that you are not a puppet on a string, then you finally trust, have faith, believe, and KNOW that all is working out perfectly.

One of the best things you can do is open your eyes to the beauty of the perfection of the path laid out before you. Just because it's not how you envisioned it doesn't mean it's the wrong path. The Universe is a better organizer than you and, once you let go and trust the process, everything will fall beautifully into place.

However, you need to let go of a few things first, like: Ego. Victim mentality. Unworthiness. Negativity. Limitations.

And, you have to reach for: Your higher self. Love of self. You have to realize you are the Universe and the Universe is you.

There is a great quote from the book/movie Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert:

"God resides in me as me."

Another appropriate quote from the same book:

“Imagine that the universe is a great spinning engine. You want to stay near the core of the thing – right in the hub of the wheel – not out at the edges where all the wild whirling takes place, where you can get frayed and crazy. The hub of calmness – that’s your heart. That’s where God lives within you. So stop looking for answers in the world. Just keep coming back to that center and you’ll always find peace.”

There really are no limitations. And, if you think there are, let's consider the fact that, at one time, people never believed flying was possible....until someone broke past limitations and made it possible.

At one time, indoor plumbing, electricity, and cars were a far-fetched idea...until someone went beyond the box and made it happen.

People who were told they wouldn't be able to walk again....have walked again. People on the verge of death, and told they only have hours to live, make a complete turn around and start living. (see Anita Moorjani's beautiful story!)

When I worked at a bank (many moons ago), we were told that the ability to access someone's bank account (that was located in another city) through the computer would never happen. Well...it did, because someone made it happen.

Anything is possible.

So, find that peace, that love, that centre of calm. Find your knowing and your belief.

There are no limitations.

Finding Wholeness

"You complete me." -Jerry Maguire

Whoever has seen the movie Jerry Maguire is quite familiar with this famous line...heck, even if you haven't seen it, you know what people are talking about when they use it...either sentimentally or humorously.

There is a belief out there that we need a person, thing, fill in the blank, to complete our lives, to make us feel whole.

The fact is, we need to feel whole first. To complete ourselves first. Everything that we want is within each of us already: Love. Abundance. Joy. Happiness. Passion.

Those things we are searching for in another person are already within us. We need to realize that we are already whole and we already have whatever we need and want. We are searching for the feeling that the other person gives us not knowing that we have had it along.

What do we do then?
We love ourselves a little more. We treat ourselves with more respect and kindness. With gentleness and appreciation. We realize what we want and need is within us already. We realize that we complete ourselves.

“We search for happiness everywhere, but we are like Tolstoy's fabled beggar who spent his life sitting on a pot of gold, under him the whole time. Your treasure--your perfection--is within you already. But to claim it, you must leave the buy commotion of the mind and abandon the desires of the ego and enter into the silence of the heart.” -Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love