Spiritual Practices Offer Peace and Acceptance
Facing career transitions and daily life challenges can leave us feeling lonely, stressed and anxious. How do we manage to deal with the financial and emotional stress of having a home, a car, work (or no work), kids and a spouse in this too-busy world?
Spiritual practices can help us navigate through the turmoil of work and life transitions with more acceptance and peace.
Below, I shall introduce three simple spiritual practices which can help us live life from a more supportive, comforting perspective.
These practices can help us shift from habitually reacting to life's problems, to walking a path of more peace and acceptance. However, before introducing these Spiritual Practices, we need to realize this is not about fixing ourselves!
We Do Not Need Fixing
Self-improvement and much of the network marketing industry bombards us with the ideas that if we fix or change our beliefs, attitudes, old wounds, thinking, goals, financial situation then we will be O.K. or a success.
We are further burdened with blame and shame for supposedly having created our so-called "lack or negative situation" with our thinking, beliefs or unaddressed childhood hurts.
These egocentric doctrines hurt us. Where is the room for God's infinite plan, our soul's work, indeed our lifework; within such narrow thinking? There is much at work, far beyond our control or our imagination, shaping our lives.
At times, we are but frail dust swept within the winds of change. During these difficult times, like career changes and lifework challenges, we need compassion for our human condition? not self-incriminating lectures.
Paradoxically, there is an element of truth in the school of thought that our beliefs, thinking, attitudes and old hurts can affect our quality of life. Holding seemingly irreconcilable opposites like these at the same time, is part of our soul's journey. Clearly, though, our lives are not a problem to be fixed and we are not to blame for every life occurrence.
"Events occur because conditions are right, and your action only contributes to one of many conditions." Lieh-Tzu
Often I hear people lamenting their lives; saying they should be further ahead in their careers, relationships, financial situation, and even in their self growth.
Yet, creating change involves much more than decision-making and setting goals. We are planting the seeds which grow our being. Often we have to grow into the being which can make the changes we wish to have. Growing a being is the work of a lifetime not ten-easy-steps-to-a-new-you.
This is why career change or any type of life transition can take much longer than we planned. The more time I spend on this planet, the more I realize how very little is really within my control and how rarely things work out according to my time line.
More and more, I am aware of the hand of God orchestrating life, with us but players upon a great stage. Wherever we are right now, is exactly the place we are meant to be. Yes, we are OK right now.
This doesn't mean we have to hopelessly accept harmful or unworkable situations in our life. However, there is a flow and timing to all things. Disdaining our lives and believing we can only be happy when we have the great career, lose fifteen pounds, find the right love, make more money? does not facilitate change or happiness. It only creates more discontent. We can only experience peace and well-being now, in this moment.
Spiritual Practices Offer Peace and Acceptance
Following, is a brief outline of three spiritual practices using the acronym ABC, which can foster our sense of well-being and peace - now. At times, acronyms for learning can seem overly cute and annoying, however, I could not ignore something that was revealed to me in prayerful meditation.
The first practice, "A = Ask for Help," begins with calling upon our higher power for help. The second simple practice, "B = Breathing Being," reminds us to return to our breathing, our bodies and our God. The last step in this trio, "C = Call for Compassion," teaches us a kinder, more compassionate way of dealing with life, ourselves and others.
Also, practicing these spiritual ABC's has shown me the value of using simple, easily remembered practices during stressful, angry or frustrated moments and dark days. May these spiritual precepts add goodness and peace to your life - as they have to mine.
Spiritual ABC's
A = Ask for Help
* Ask God for Help: "Please help me navigate through this. Thank you for helping." God is always here. We often need to reconnect.
* Help Yourself by Living with Gratitude: Give thanks to God for everything and everyone, always.
* Reach Out to Others: End your isolation by reaching out to others for help.
B = Breathing Being
* Breathing In and Breathing Out Ten Times: Everyone has time for transformative, ten breath countdowns.
* Be Still: "Be still and know that I am God." Stillness is the doorway to God.
* Being in the Body: Through being still we begin to hear our bodies' needs and learn to care for our bodies, now.
C = Cultivate Compassion
* Pray for Compassion: "Please, God, help me find compassion here. Thank you for helping me."
* Seek the Big Picture: When we are angry or frustrated with ourselves or others we need to reach for a larger perspective. Ask, "What is really important here?"
* Reframing the Story: We continually spin one-sided stories in our mind explaining every situation which often, has little to do with the greater truth of a situation. Try asking, "How else can I see this?"
For a more detailed account of the Spiritual ABC's visit Teresa at http://www.yourlifework.com/SPIRITUAL-HELP.html.
Teresa Proudlove has been inspiring, supporting, and guiding over 3000 people upon their lifework path for over fourteen years - with compassion and heart. Visit Teresa at http://www.yourlifework.com; listen to your inner guidance and navigate through life and work with more acceptance and peace.
MORE RESOURCES:
 Los Angeles Times | April job losses end state's eight months of gains Los Angeles Times Some of those who are discouraged by their job prospects have gone into business for themselves. (Francine Orr, Los Angeles Times / April 11, 2012) By Ricardo Lopez, Los Angeles Times California's labor market stumbled in April as employers in a wide ... Fla. April jobless rate drops to 8.7 percent, state loses jobs but thousands ... South Bay adds 3600 jobs, strongest employment gains for April in entire state Local jobless rate declines |
 Boston.com | Report: Wisconsin lost 5900 jobs in April BusinessWeek By TODD RICHMOND Wisconsin lost nearly 6000 jobs in April according to preliminary monthly data state labor officials released Thursday, putting Republican Gov. Scott Walker on the defensive as he faces a June 5 recall election. Recall Roundup: Jobs back in focus as new report shows losses Walker, Barrett continue sparring over jobs Walker and Barrett keep fighting over jobs number |
 IBNLive.com | Steve Jobs TV movie to film at the original Apple garage CNET The garage where the first Apple computers were built will be used in the upcoming TV movie about Jobs. by Josh Lowensohn May 18, 2012 4:48 PM PDT Follow @Josh For those wondering how authentic the upcoming made-for-TV movie about Steve Jobs will be, ... Steve Jobs biopic to begin filming in garage where Apple was born Steve Jobs Movie Begins Filming in the Original Apple Garage 'jOBS' biopic starring Ashton Kutcher will shoot in Apple Garage and childhood ... |
Proposed arena a job killer, say Port of Seattle leaders The Seattle Times Seattle and King County leaders say the Port of Seattle can thrive next to a new NBA and NHL arena, but the Port sees potential damage to its plan to expand and add up to 100000 new jobs to the area. By Emily Heffter The sky is falling! |
Best and worst jobs for your health Fox News A healthy job is about more than just avoiding hazards, like dangerous material and machines. Employees need respect, benefits, wellness incentives, and control over their work, says L. Casey Chosewood, MD, senior medical officer for the Total Worker ... |
 Hollywood Reporter | Sorkin says Jobs movie won't be straight biography Reuters NEW YORK (Reuters) - Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin hasn't yet figured out how to put the life of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs on the silver screen, but he is certain it's not going to be a straightforward biography. Sorkin, who won an Oscar for his ... REFILE-Sorkin says Jobs movie won't be straight biography Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Hired to Help Aaron Sorkin on Steve Jobs Biopic Aaron Sorkin Says Steve Jobs Film Won't Be a Standard Biopic; Apple Co-Founder ... |
 IGNN | Utah's job growth slows, unemployment rate up Salt Lake Tribune Data show that a sluggish labor market still has some vigor as nearly all sectors of Utah's economy added jobs in April. By paul beebe Job growth in Utah slowed in April for the fourth consecutive month and the unemployment rate rose, suggesting the ... Illinois jobless rate drops but job growth slows Illinois Adds 140700 Private Sector Jobs Since Recovery |
 Bloomberg | Who is the real jobs killer -- Obama or Romney? Fox News When it comes to the audacity of trope, it is hard to top President Obama -- a big time jobs killer. One of the president's re-election campaign websites features a new attack ad in which a steelworker brands Mitt Romney as a person “like a vampire” ... Mitt Romney's claim that 100000 auto jobs have been lost under Obama Fact-Checking Romney's Jobs Stats The Austerity Trap and the Jobs Deficit |
Santa Cruz County adds 3500 jobs in April San Jose Mercury News By JONDI GUMZ - Santa Cruz Sentinel SANTA CRUZ - Santa Cruz County saw a spurt of growth in April, adding 3500 jobs compared to March, and unemployment fell to 12 percent from, 13.7 percent in March even as the labor force grew. |
Summer jobs introduce kids to Uncle Sam, taxes Kansas City Star By STEVE ROSEN Expect to hear those words from exasperated teenagers or college students over the next few weeks as they set aside their calculators and toss their textbooks to start summer jobs. For many young workers, this will be their first time ... |
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