Challenge Presents Openings

Looking For The Good?

In times like these, it seems trite to say look for the good in every situation. In many ways, we are in a boat without paddles in new waters. We do not have a sense of where we are. The past no longer informs us. We have the present and can only look to a future that is undefined. New perspectives are called for, as we encounter challenge.

Any situation in our lives can present Openings to us and challenge always does. That may be the good in whatever we are going through. Not a safe return to the past, but a beacon towards positive change. Each Opening is an invitation to something new. The rub is that the road to and through the Opening may ask a lot of us.

So, what do we do to stay positive as we experience challenges? A key is to stay present to what is happening. Reality is a strong foundation. From there, we can make choices on how we face the challenge and begin to move forward. It is also important to sharpen our inner awareness of ourselves and what we are experiencing.

Staying Grounded

We need a support system – both inner and outer – as we move through challenges. This system can be prayer, connection to our intuition, practices that keep us strong or maintaining physical, mental, emotional and spiritual balance. Our support system is our grounding through the ups and downs that come with a challenging period in our lives.

Our outer support system can be connection to people we trust, spiritual guides and coaches to help understand and weather the challenge, outside interests that give us joy and fulfillment or learning opportunities that expand our minds and hearts. We can change our environment, every once in a while, for a change of scene.

Like an anchor, grounding keeps us steady, withstanding the winds and waves of change. Even as the earth below us shifts during challenge, we can remain secure in our present reality. This is where our support system comes in. In the process of creating our inner and outer support systems we become stronger and challenge eases.

Being Willing

Openings appear during challenge, when we are willing to see them. Challenge can distract us. It can also wear us down. Pressure builds and our world shrinks. We cannot see the possibilities before us. An Opening may show itself and we are not able to see it. The Opening could have provided a way out of challenge or critical insights to help us move forward. Our lack of vison and possibly fear and disorientation have impaired our ability to get through the challenge.

In the midst of challenge, what else do we have but Openings to something new? We can employ our willingness to find Openings in small steps or large ones. It is up to us. There is no need to rush. Small steps give us momentum at a pace we can handle. Large steps or leaps may be the best way for some of us – we go far and we end up in a new place.

As we become willing to move forward, with challenge surrounding us, guides appear to help us on our way. These guides may be mental insights, our own intuition, being guided by our hearts or something or someone we encounter along the way. We begin to see ourselves in movement and the challenges we are facing are not as daunting as they used to be.