July/August 2003

Hardships

Facing the greatest challenge in our life is not an end-all, the challenges only become greater, the lessons more profound.

I recently watched the excellent Australian movie "Rabbit Proof Fence." In this film we are inspired by the aboriginal heroine, a girl of 14, and her seemingly impossible quest to walk 1200 miles thru the roughest part of Australia to make it home to her mother and family after she, her sister and cousin are taken from their mothers for the crime of being half Caucasian. Facing the obstacles of a fierce tracker, betrayals and desert heat, she makes it back, yet can only punish herself in the fact that one of the original three in the runaway party (cousin Gracie) had been lost to the trackers.

One would hope after such an arduous journey, punctuated by comforting and guiding signs from a higher Source, that there would be a "happily ever-after" ending. There wasn't. She returned to her beloved homeland, mother and grandmother only to be forced into hiding in the desert. After marriage and two children, she was captured again by a government hell-bent on making her see the inferiority of her aboriginal blood. Again she escaped, once again treading the 1200 miles back home, this time carrying her youngest child. Both children were eventually taken from her, one never to be seen again. What is the lesson in this true life tragedy?

I believe as humans, we tend to beat ourselves up over our weaknesses, blind to the beauty of our strength, resilience and courage in living life on this great earth. We wait endlessly for times to get better, for an unreachable dream to be attained, or the illusion that someday we will have our paradise, that the villains will be gone. The truth is, life is as we live it moment by moment. Being the "hero" in our life's journey often necessitates a "villain" to be a part of our experience.

Everyday of our lives we face small "hero/villain" scenarios, a bad day in traffic, unresponsive or rude store clerk ... even nature can become the "villian", in our heroic daily escapades we may have had to fight through a blinding snow storm, torrential rains, fires, earthquake or a plague of annoying miller moths (those in Colorado know of what I speak). Perhaps we have taken on the persona of the "villain" in someone else's life, pointed out someone's weakness or faults, snagged someone's parking space, or maybe we were simply having a "bitchy" day, yelled at a loved one or a child, let down a friend.

The truth is, we are human, here to experience all emotions and trials, but with the challenge to rise to love, compassion and forgiveness, even of ourselves. We are sometimes the darkness that will inspire another to see their light, and others will be the darkness in our lives in order for us to shine and rise above the pain and suffering. Just as a rose needs to be hard pruned to blossom in its full glory, Spirit will often cut away the "dead wood" in our lives for the new growth and beauty to bloom, it can appear to be a painful process, but we are made resilient and strong in this "cutting away." Only in the action of releasing, are we open to receive once again. Our clutching hands and hearts open to release, and in this action we are open once again to receive.

I've found that the people I've met with the most wisdom and compassion, have overcome many dark passages, hardships and loss to become the hero in their lives by rising above these "villains," not by revenge, hatred or anger, but from compassion, strength, endurance, patience and humility. This is a true hero, one who can survive and grow strong through challenge and hardship. In all suffering we are challenged to choose between love or bitterness. Love expands the soul, bitterness contracts and makes our world small and painful. One of my favorite quotes, though I don't know the source, is "Hatred is like taking poison and waiting for the other guy to die."

At the end of this troubling yet inspiring movie, we see the real heroine, old and bent from a long, hard life, yet she smiles and laughs, you can see this woman still retains joy, dignity and strength despite her years of suffering.

It is a strange and difficult challenge to sit in gratitude to your "villains," to understand all hardships as lessons for our eternal souls, an opportunity for us to see our "light," and to grow in love, wisdom and compassion. We must learn to fight injustice with justice, with strength, dignity and love, and not let it poison our souls. Forgiveness is for us.

Be the "hero" in your life's adventure and see the "villains" as the necessary components to an enriching and soul-expanding story.

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New in Soul2Soul for July & August

I'm honored and grateful to announce that Soul2Soul has been awarded the 2003 Spirit Search Gloria Award for outstanding website. Thanks so much!

I've finally completed the Astrology 101 articles in the new Astrology section of our Intuitive Guidance site. I've covered the basics of signs, planets and houses and hope to soon feature more indepth articles on astrological aspects.

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And, as always...

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Blessings of peace, love & light,

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