The Gift of Challenging Experiences

Have you ever had that moment where you stop and ask yourself, "Why is this happening to me"? For me, this moment of pause would occur when I noticed that what was happening in my life had happened before, but with different characters. Why do we tolerate people, situations and things that cause us to struggle and contribute to our anxiety and stress?

---

The answer is simple and at the same time somewhat complicated. The simple answer is, that every situation in your life that is causing you to experience stress and struggle, is also an invitation to press pause and bring awareness to the patterns and beliefs that are driving your life. The complicated part is that you have to be ready and willing to surrender to the simple truth and disengage from the drama in order to create real and lasting change. This pattern is much easier to see in others. I think we have all had that friend that we love unconditionally, but we can see that they continue to attract the same type of person into their lives and cycle into the same patterns again and again. 

“Life is simple. Everything happens for you, not to you. Everything happens at exactly the right moment, neither too soon nor too late. You don't have to like it... it's just easier if you do.” ~ Byron Katie

Unfortunately, we are oriented in the wrong direction and the reason is likely due to the emotional experiences within us that play out in front of us so that we can see them. So every challenge is a gift and an invitation to notice and accept that this is an internal sub conscious story wanting to be integrated. Simply stated we are trying to change the world outside ourselves when what is screaming for attention is actually inside of us.

Compounding the situation, is that we may not truly know ourselves because of this external orientation. What is needed is an ability to set boundaries and turn inwards. Yet, for many of us this type of action can feel like cutting off a life line. So it is easier to stay in the cycle of the drama instead of creating change.

"Sometimes the only way to discover the treasure you buried is to know when to stop digging." ~ Matt Kahn

So here is the action plan for the sensitive and empathic ones. My challenge to you is to do one thing this week. Without taking any actions to change anything in your life. Simply bring awareness to your everyday experiences. Take a step back and notice / observe your choices and the situations you find yourself in. Perhaps, as you lay down to sleep each evening you can scan through the events in your day. Look for patterns and what you might be tolerating. Just notice.

Similar Articles / Resources:
Blog Post: 5 Steps to Seeing Beyond the Mirror
Reclaim Your Wholeness ~ Shadow Sessions