Life is the School, Love is the Lesson

Funny how a bumper sticker can capture a whole philosophy in one simple phrase. Saw this one on the car in front of me at the gas station and it made me pause to reflect on it.

"That is exactly true", I thought to myself while pumping gas.

I have always believed life is a school of sorts. We are here to learn and to grow spiritually and emotionally. Here are some of my quips:

"If life is a school, why are some people stuck in kindergarten?",

"Repeat after me, this is a test, this is only a test" and 

"If life is a school, why does it take me so long to learn the lesson?" 

And then there are those who don't learn their lessons and will have to give it another go-round, if you get my drift.

Who are You Loving
This bumper sticker was a powerful reminder to me of where my focus ought to be. Life is all about learning to love ourselves, others, and God in a balanced and healthy way. It seems strange to me that some Christians don't believe you should love yourself. What? Remember the second greatest commandment "Love your neighbor as yourself." A pastor friend recently told me on Facebook that the concept of loving ourselves is from our "modern culture." Again, what? I'd "love" to hear your thoughts on this one. 

Balance is Key 

It takes practice and awareness. Most of us tip towards one direction or another and it's only when problems arise, we realize we have been out of balance in our love walk. For example, take the workaholic who neglects his/her family and ends up dealing with an affair, a divorce, or a rebellious teen. The scales were tipped too heavily on the work facet of life, right? Or the mother who idolizes her kids but neglects her own well being. Who is she not loving?

Don't Play the Blame Game 
So what to do? When problems arise, don't just push through them or ignore them. Problems in life are a sign that something needs to be addressed. We must take responsibility for our lives and not continually blame our parents, our boss, or other people. That's what Adam and Eve did way back when. It wasn't the answer then and it isn't the answer now.

The answer is to realize what part I have played in the dramas in my life. Ask myself these questions:  "How loving have I been - to others, to myself and ultimately, to God?" "Did I do the honorable thing?" Most of the time the honorable thing is the most difficult thing to do. But that's where courage and integrity come in. Am I living according to my highest values or am I succumbing to the pressures of others, society, my past hurts and wounds? It takes self-reflection and courage to heal our wounds. 

Call it Karma 
If we want to move forward in life, we must take responsibility for our actions. It is true, we reap what we sow. Call it karma if you like, but you get the idea. Whenever we fail to do the loving thing towards ourselves or others, it will always come back to bite us. We will get back what we put out. Learning to love is a lifelong practice and the good news is we get plenty of opportunities.

For Reflection
What relationship needs some tending? Who can you be more loving towards today? Your spouse? Your parents? Yourself? Love to hear your thoughts on this post so drop me a note via email or leave a comment on the blog or on Facebook. 

Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this post and would like to join our community, please enter your email in the box provided. When you do, I'll send you a copy of my free e-guide entitled "How to Develop a Spiritual Practice".  

Stay tuned for more positive and practical wisdom and until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

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Ignite the Power Within Step 3: Learn to Let Go

Have you ever lost something you valued? A piece of jewelry? A relationship? A child? A pet? A home? Things and people get taken from us often without our consent and sometimes, quite suddenly. Think of all the people who have lost homes and possessions due to hurricanes and tornados. Now they have a lot to let go of both emotionally and mentally. Today, to help us deal with these difficult situations, I am sharing a skill we all need to learn which is Step 3 in our transformational journey to ignite the power within. 

What does letting go mean?

I thought everyone knew the concept of letting go, but one day a friend asked me what it meant. She had been grieving her dead husband for over 10 years and I finally said to her, "Sounds like it is time to let go." 

"What does that mean?" she asked. I was incredulous.  

So let me explain the idea which encompasses a lot more than we realize. 

Letting go means accepting what is, relinquishing control of people and circumstances, and mentally "letting go" of obsessive thoughts and emotions about a particular person, thing, relationship, or whatever. It is HUGE when it comes to keeping our peace and our joy. 

In order to let go, we need to look for a new perspective, reevaluate our priorities, and most importantly, trust that God has allowed something to happen for a reason, and that there is something better in store for us. Here's a personal story that illustrates this point.

Personal Story about Material Possessions

A few years ago, I lost a beloved opal necklace that had been a graduation gift from my favorite uncle, who has long passed. I looked high and low for it - in the house, the car, the garage. It was nowhere to be found. I prayed and prayed to find it and one day I did - crushed to smithereens next to my car.

"Well, at least now I know what happened to it," I said with finality. The unrest I was feeling was gone. There was no more hope of finding the necklace intact and I was at peace - closure. In the same way, we feel unrest when we lose something we value. It could be a relationship, a job, or a pet. Who knows how the necklace fell on the ground? We don't always understand why unfortunate things happen. We don't even have to. The lesson is in the letting go. 

After the emotion of losing the cherished necklace dissipated,  I decided to visit a local jewelry store to see how much a replacement would cost. I found a necklace I liked. The saleswoman quoted me the cost explaining that it was a very good price considering the price of gold these days. Now, I have to tell you that I didn't feel very comfortable spending that much money on jewelry for myself. That's just not something I do. 

"If you like, you can put a deposit down and think about it," she suggested.

"That's a good idea. I'll do that."

As she looked my name up in her system, she says to me, "You have a credit on your account."

"Really?" I replied, my eyebrows arching in surprise.

After researching a bit more, the saleswoman decided to go ahead and discount the necklace to less than half the original price. Now that is the favor of God.

"What a deal," I exclaimed. "I'll take it." Needless to say, I was elated. I now had a replacement for the necklace I had lost and God had given me something better at a great price!

Examples of letting go. 
And that is exactly what God will do for you when you let go of whatever is causing you unrest and stealing your peace. Now I am not just talking about material possessions. The practice of letting go involves letting go of anything or anyone we have a strong attachment to. This is why spouses suffer so much when their spouse dies. Or when kids leave the nest, why moms have such a hard time. Or when a beloved pet dies or goes missing. Or when the stock market drops. It is natural to care and love, but we must do so lightly. Don't have too strong a grip on anyone or anything. This what memories are for. To comfort us in our time of loss. And it is normal to grieve, but if it goes on for an inordinate amount of time, like my friend, it is time to let go. You alone will know when that time comes. 

Trusting God

Letting go is a practice. Say "practice." I think life keeps giving us opportunities to learn how to let go until we master the lesson and can do it more quickly and with less emotional stress. This is also a practice in trusting God. God sees our pain, really he does. 

For Reflection

Beloved, what person, relationship, or thing are you holding on to today that is causing you unrest? Trust God, let it go, and wait for the Lord to give you the desires of your heart. Remember, "Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." (Matt. 6:34)

Offerings for You 
If you enjoyed this post and would like to join our growing blog community, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my weekly posts, updates when my new books come out, plus a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path." And do follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ArielPaz08. On Pinterest check out all the cool stuff I have collected on a wide variety of topics such as recipes, diet and exercise, fashion and beauty, prayer and mindfulness, and much more! 

I hope this post encouraged you and do stay tuned for part 4 on our series on igniting the power within and until next time, 

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz