Trust Life (Even When Things Go “Wrong”)

Many people have trouble trusting life, especially when things go “wrong.” Part of the reason for this is that we have been taught to believe that if we’re not happy there is something wrong. But, there is nothing wrong with our feelings or with the circumstances of our lives, even when the circumstances and feelings are frightening or not what we want them to be.

Serious problems can be solved more easily if we open to all possibilities and solutions and avoid pre-conceived notions and assumptions about how things should be. In fact, shoulding creates unnecessary pain and pressure in the nervous system and causes solvable problems to appear unsolvable. Pushing to make things be a certain way exclusive of all else creates obstacles to moving forward towards living the way we want to live.

Trust depends on an attitude of openness and curiosity. It depends on knowing that you don’t know what’s going on a lot of the time (humor helps here), and an attitude of curiosity about what is going on. Trust is built on a foundation of willingness to be with how things are and go from there.

You can strengthen your willingness to be with how things are by developing a healthy relationship between your attitudes and feelings (your psychology), and your spirituality. Your psychology is the looks within place of your nature. It’s where you ask questions about your life and who you are in your life. It’s where you remember yourself and develop a sense of your individual identity. It’s the place in you that is informed by emotions, some of which are inevitably difficult.

Spirituality is the place of expansion and connection to the Forces of the Universe. Some call this Reality. Some call it Nature. Some call it the Infinite. Some call it Spirit. Some call it Beauty. Some call it Love. Some call it God. Whatever you call it, spirituality is the place where your individual identity dissolves and merges with the whole of existence. It’s where you forget yourself.

Your spirituality like your psychology is your own. Each is connected to the other through you. Here are eleven ways you can nurture this relationship:

• Sit with yourself for a few minutes every day. Notice what is coming up for you.
• Begin each day by saying to yourself, “I wonder what life has in store for me today.”
• Bring your attention to your body and remember that it is the place that holds you in this lifetime. Feel yourself connected to the ground.
• Connect with nature every day. Remember that you, too, are nature.
• Include something beautiful in your daily life, like music or art.
• Write down your thoughts and feelings regularly. Be radically honest with yourself as you become aware of aspects of yourself that need to be attended to.
• Be kind to yourself and others.
• Talk about what is on your mind with someone who knows how to listen.
• Breathe and be silent whenever you think of it.
• Take yourself seriously, but not too seriously.
• Let yourself be carried by life.

Note: This piece was published as a guest blog post at http://naturalremediescure.wordpress.com/2013/11/05/trust-life-even-when-things-go-wrong/