October 2022 week 3

“…And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.  When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation – some fact of my life – unacceptable to me and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.  Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God’s world by mistake.  Unless I accept life completely on life’s terms, I cannot be happy.  I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and my attitudes.” Anonymous

And there you have it!!! Acceptance is truly the answer to all my problems today! The 3rd Klesha we are studying this month, Raaga, attachment to pleasurable things and our desires can lead us to suffering, but we can choose to make the shift into acceptance and contentment. There is nothing wrong with reaching for and experiencing those activities or people who fill us up and bring us pleasure, thats all good and the reason we do all the spiritual work we do. The suffering happens when we are nano focused on our desires and we can’t be “happy” until we attain whatever it is we are seeking. This is the moment that acceptance comes into play. Let’s have an example: have you ever had a holiday with your family that was amazing? Everyone you wanted to be there was there, everyone behaved lol and It was an amazing time. Now here comes the next holiday season and life is different for many of your family members and some of them cannot make the gathering. Rather than accepting the changes, you spend your energy trying to recreate the pleasurable holiday from a year ago and you are sad and angry that it is not the same - this is Raaga. If we are spiritually centered and not in the 1st Klesha of Avidya (spiritual ignorance) we will be able to easily shift to acceptance and then joy for the holiday as it is! Another example can involve food. For example me and sugar! I have a long history of rewarding myself at the end of the day with cookies or ice cream. Several years ago I did my first cleanse and had my first period of no sugar treats. I then went back to my nightly ice cream only to realize that I was never happy with the amount I was eating. Instead of being satisfied with the pleasure of a small cup of ice cream, I was only looking to recreate the pleasure by having more which took away the joy of the cup. Does any of this resonate with you? Can you call to mind a time where you created your own suffering by being in the state of Raaga? Are you doing it now? The holidays are looming and will be here before we know it, how lucky are we to be in the conversation of spiritual centeredness together!!!!!! Our intention this month, “All I seek is Within Me Now” is a great reminder for us to come back inside to our true self and find the joy there!!!!!!!