Lean In

All of the great religions, philosophies and spiritualities of the world are available to us as guides to live a happier and more successful life. I believe they are all important and worthy of our respect. Today I would like to discuss the concept of leaning in to difficult situations when they arise, a concept I am familiar with through Eastern philosophies.

Buddhism teaches us that everything is temporary. Yoga teaches us to enjoy the moment. With these two concepts in our back pockets, we can feel grateful for the events that we are able to experience in life.

Many people are afraid to love because they fear the pain when it ends. Some do not even want to get close to people for the same reason. In Buddhism, there is a tool called leaning in, where people accept their pain as a temporary part of life instead of running from it. Experiencing any painful situations in life is usually a lot less dramatic than living in a state of fear and avoiding the pain.

Think of all of the beautiful feelings and events in life that you could miss if you do not allow yourself to experience them. Even though everything is temporary, the ups and downs of life are still worth experiencing. Consider this: if you enjoy life to the best of your ability, and you treat difficult situations as an opportunity to grow and learn, life becomes a beautiful journey.

Today, I invite you to acknowledge if there are ways you might be running from life because of any fear of sorrow when it ends. If pain comes, remember that it is a natural part of life and it can be dealt with in a positive and loving way. There is nothing that will happen to you that you will not be able to handle. When you lean in to the good or lean in to the bad, you flow with the current of life instead of struggling upstream.

Life is beautiful, my friends. Enjoy the ride!

Love,

~Amber