I've been juice feasting for 7 days. It was a roller coaster of emotions and some physical pain, my biggest lesson being I have to be patient with myself- for everything, not being a good friend, a business owner, not a great daughter, not a great runner, not the best chef for sure. But after spending hours of thinking in this last 7 days, same story comes up. I am not good enough...It is just too tiring, and old story. I know the beauty lies in the acceptance. No matter what it is. Even that means, being a loner forever, i am not afraid. I feel pretty empowered, like making dreams come true, but it is not about achieving...It is about being. I want to start practicing this now, not tomorrow. I am grateful to be alive. I am dreaming of hanging out in the hammock, with a book in my hand. A breeze would not hurt either. I am off today!
Great article from Daily Om again....
May 5, 2009
Progressing With Patience
Doing The Best You Can
It isn't always easy to meet the expectations we hold ourselves to. We may find ourselves in a situation such as just finishing a relaxing yoga class or meditation retreat, a serene session of deep breathing, or listening to some calming, soul-stirring music, yet we have difficulty retaining our sense of peace. A long line at the store, slow-moving traffic, or another stressful situation can unnerve you and leave you wondering why the tranquility and spiritual equilibrium you cultivate is so quick to dissipate in the face of certain stressors. You may feel guilty and angry at yourself or even feel like a hypocrite for not being able to maintain control after practicing being centered. However, being patient with yourself will help you more in your soul's journey than frustration at your perceived lack of progress. Doing the best you can in your quest for spiritual growth is vastly more important than striving for perfection.
Just because you are devoted to following a spiritual path, attaining inner peace, or living a specific ideology doesn't mean you should expect to achieve perfection. When you approach your personal evolution mindfully, you can experience intense emotions such as anger without feeling that you have somehow failed. Simply by being aware of what you are experiencing and recognizing that your feelings are temporary, you have begun taking the necessary steps to regaining your internal balance. Accepting that difficult situations will arise from time to time and treating your reaction to them as if they are passing events rather than a part of who you are can help you move past them. Practicing this form of acceptance and paying attention to your reactions in order to learn from them will make it easier for you to return to your center more quickly in the future.
Since your experiences won't be similar to others' and your behavior will be shaped by those experiences, you may never stop reacting strongly to the challenging situations you encounter. Even if you are able to do nothing more than acknowledge what you are feeling and that there is little you can do to affect your current circumstances, in time you'll alter your reaction to such circumstances. You can learn gradually to let negative thoughts come into your mind, recognize them, and then let them go. You may never reach a place of perfect peace, but you'll find serenity in having done your best.
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