Breathe Through It

Sometimes the actions of people around me confuse me. It can be perplexing to try and understand their motive and actions.

Sometimes I want to react in a manner that would harm that person. I want to react in both word and deed. Other times I’ve told myself “that’s it”; I’m done with that person.

Have you ever been so mad at someone that you’ve had fleeting thoughts of revenge? Have you ever wanted to make them pay!

It’s strange that we think that way, but sometimes it’s very satisfying – even if it’s only momentary.

Are you familiar with the song “It’s a thin line between love and hate”? He cheats, comes home in the early hour of the morning and she asks him if he’s hungry. Next thing you know, he is lying in a hospital bandaged from head to toe!

I get it! I guess for some, there is a limit, and once it’s reached, look out!

I don’t think if I could physically harm someone like that, but I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t admit to having harbored very unloving thoughts!

These days, I’m learning to breathe through it. That means not openly reacting. Instead, I’m learning to pay attention to my emotions in the situation. Our emotions can teach us a lot. I’ve realized that any sort of reaction feeds the flame. It’s also occurred to me that the stronger the reaction or thought of revenge, the more important the need for self- reflection.

Why do we react at all? Why do we want others to act in a manner that suits us? I guess that all depends on how deeply entrenched our values are. We each have a certain ethical code that causes us to react when it’s been breached. Sometimes we aren’t even aware that we held such strong feelings of “right and wrong”.

That’s the beauty of our emotions. Emotion is our spiritual self trying to speak to us. It’s trying to teach us or at least make us aware of something that has caused us to be unhappy, or angry or ready to strike out physically.

I’m learning to breathe through it. Negative energy held within is harmful to us. It causes physical reactions in our body. And, the cycle that caused the reaction in the first place continues. It can continue throughout our lifetime if we ignore our emotions.

If someone gets you that mad, imagine what would happen over time if you stopped reacting. The situation would change - it would have to. If you are no longer providing the fuel, the flame will die.

If you learn to stand still and just breathe, you might also learn that the reaction had nothing to do with the actions of another person. It’s our egos, and our sense of self-worth that we are usually trying to protect. You might even find that you actually believe the hurtful words spoken by someone else. And how harmful is that!

I’m awed by the perfection of our construction. We have everything we could possibly need within us, to live the most incredible lives. And every person we come into contact with is both teacher and student. Imagine if everyone recognized that. What a world this would be.

Instead, we react, and we ignore ourselves. And we perpetuate the negative energy. We cause grief instead of understanding.

So, I’m learning to breathe through it in order to learn and grow spiritually stronger. I’m using the god-given tools that are contained within me.

I’m never going to understand others, and I don’t think I should even be trying to. All I need to focus on is how their actions make me feel. And once I’ve made that recognition, I can release that negative energy for good. And that makes me greater in spirit. That increases my ability to teach from a different perspective.

I’m learning to breathe through it.

Moving Forward

Whether we are aware or not, whether we feel like we are going in circles, taking a step back, or even standing still, we are always moving forward.

For those that are completely unaware, life is leading them into situations, which are meant to ignite their awareness.

For those with any level of awareness, every step, in any directions, is still moving them forward. It doesn’t matter if that step feels like a misstep or a repeat. It doesn’t matter if we end up back at square one, we still moved forward.

It’s never obvious in the moment, it’s only in retrospection, that forward movement becomes apparent.

That’s where words like faith and trust come into play.

Sometimes it’s really hard to believe that we are making progress of any kind. It can be really frustrating and that’s when many of us “give up”. But, that frustration is an opportunity, which if taken, moves us forward.

The universe needs our participation in order to do what it does. It requires faith and trust in the unknown, the unseen, the blankness. We just need to know and trust that we are always moving towards something bigger and better than what we are leaving behind. There is always activity going on behind the invisible curtain, and it’s meant to propel us forward. To help us attain whatever it is we wish to attain.

There isn’t a need for us to figure it all out, to control it all. In fact, the act of trying to control it all, contributes to those missteps. Worrying about it generates delays. And, if we want it to look exactly how we want it to look, we limit the universe.

There is much we may never understand, but there are always guides put on our path to keep us moving.

When we are faced with a situation that isn’t what we wanted, that’s when we need to remember that although it isn’t what “we” wanted, it’s what the universe requires of us in order to put us in a place or situation that will bring what we were hoping for. It’s still a move in the “right” direction.

There are many twists, turns and bends in the road of life. So if we end up in a place that we’ve already been, there’s a reason, and we’ve still moved forward. With awareness, we have reached the next plateau.

Faith and trust will get us there. Knowing that, we can enjoy all the steps along the way. We can enjoy what has been given to us knowing that it’s as it should be.

We are always moving forward. How far and how fast depends on our knowing and acceptance of this.