"Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." 1 Peter 5:9
It seems like a comforting idea to know that we are not standing alone, we are not the only ones suffering, that people all around are experiencing the same version of life we are having. Yet, somehow this idea emerges from bringing comfort and encouragement for us to reach out and find support and condolence in the experiences of others, to becoming another version of what our destiny should look like.
Suddenly, it is acceptable for work to be a place of struggle, for women to be single parents/providers even if they have men in their lives, for love to be painful and for certain category of people only to aspire certain areas and aspects of life.
Behind my inspiration and motivation to pursue a spiritual path, seeking serenity through change of my beliefs and thinking was a friend of mine who pursued the same path years ago, while going through an extremely difficult personal time in her life. I watched as my friend went through a very rough both emotionally and physically abusive marriage, she got divorced then back again, lost a pregnancy and finally her husband died. It all seemed so much to take, I was heartbroken and devastated just watching that happening to her and she was only 25 years old. Nevertheless, she kept close to her spiritual/life coach through it all, doing all that is necessary and required until one day, it was obvious that her life was changing. She was more serene, more sane and met a lovely husband and had a beautiful child, moved to a better job, a new country and a new home. I always remember her and give thanks for her every time she crosses my mind.
I also often reflect on my mom at the age of 45 when she decided to restart her life with three kids and an elderly mother, no job, no house in a new country and a new culture.
Somehow, I find courage, motivation and inspiration in those examples when faced with new challenges or aspiring new horizons. If it worked for them, it can very much work for me as well.
One friend who is going now through marital problems sat in my living room reflecting on her family and realized that every female relative she can think of is encountering a relationship hardship of a sort. It seemed that a legacy being passed down to them and could not be escaped.
In the same day, another friend of mine, who is an awesome and amazingly talented writer, sent me a link to a new blog he started, saying how he got inspired by mine and he was finally encouraged to start his own.
To have those two incidents happen in the same hour of the same day, was a coincidence I was not able or ready to ignore. I realized how we form our beliefs because of what we observe in the lives of those around us and it becomes a personal truth to what is possible.
I realized that today I am the statistic my friends, cousins, younger brother and nephew are looking at to form an opinion on their lives.
Today, I have the opportunity to be someone's hope and reference in times of trouble, confusion or hardship, they too can stand before God and say, it seems hard and almost impossible but we have seen it work.
I choose to open my eyes and see what is working around me and work it. I choose to believe that it could happen for me too, that goodness and abundance is available for me today.
In the infinity of life where I am, all is perfect, whole and complete.
