The Winds of Change
I recently became an auntie, and the medical team has to use a ventouse to help my nephew out. When I saw the picture of this little guy after his first seconds on this planet, he seemed like he had a rough time. It got me thinking about the Buddhist concept that birth is suffering.
As soon as we step foot on this planet, we suffer. By being taken out of the womb, by being cold, hot, not fed straight away. There are millions of reasons that we suffer from the first few seconds of our existence.
Fast forward a few years. Mum and Dad have another kid, and we are not the favorite anymore. We get jealous, resentful, angry. Fast forward the teenage years, and we experience our first heartbreak. We feel like this pain will never go away. Then we become adults, and while being part of society, we complain that the government is doing this or not doing that. That our boss is putting pressure on us, that our partner does not understand us, that the kids don’t listen to us. We are still navigating in the waters of suffering.
Some people go through Life in suffering mode, and they will arrive at the end of their Life without ever changing. And that’s ok. And for others, something shifts, when they either have found their purpose, or when they have experienced too much pain. This is usually the beginning of the healing journey.
We go on our way, chest pumped up, and we start learning. Breathwork. Meditation. Eastern philosophies. Cold exposure therapy. Energy work. Prayers. Trip to India. Gratitude journals, and so on. We get happier, and people start noticing it. We start glowing from the inside out.
Being on this journey is fantastic, and once we have started walking the path, it’s nearly impossible to stop. It feels so good that we never want to go back to our old self. Ever again.
But then a bump on the road happens. And another one. And another one. We treat ourselves harshly, thinking we could have done better. That we know better, with all the work that we’ve already done. That we shouldn’t fall for this toxic guy, that we shouldn’t be materialistic, that we shouldn’t entertain ourselves with cute dog videos on YouTube.
These days, our culture and societies place the emphasis on quick fix and short-term gratification. We are conditioned to want and get everything quickly. The truth is, growth and being our best self does not happen overnight. It happens when things get tough. When it rains outside, and when we still go to the gym. When a friend shows up with beers, and we choose water. When we prioritize working on our business instead of scrolling on Instagram.
Growth and becoming someone better than we used to be, take time. Everything that is life-changing is a slow process. Everything that is for our greatest good (and the greatest good of all), is worthy of putting as much time as we can give it. As we are willing to give it. So instead of worrying about us not being enlightened and not being “there” yet, we should give ourselves a hug in those moments, reflect on how far we have come, and have compassion and kindness for ourselves.
With love and gratitude,
Caroline
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