“Instead of clinging to what you know…fall headlong into whatever it is that faces you. You may discover you can fly. If you are in the middle of a divorce, let it be that. If you have lost your job, let it be that, and if you are dying, may it be so. Of course, it’s not easy. Nobody willingly allows him or herself to be dismembered, torn apart, crushed like a grape between fingers. The ego will never assent to self-sacrifice.”
I know of nothing more difficult, more counterintuitive, more radical than embracing what is painful physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. This is so not only because pain is painful and therefore something we react against, but because we are spiritual beings who are made for relentless bliss; any and everything that hurts is counter to our nature, our destiny, our birthright. However, because we are embodied spirits, we experience all that comes with being human, the good, the bad, and the ugly; we cannot outrun the fact that we live “east of Eden,” outside of the proverbial paradise that supposedly was and is meant to be our home.
It is one thing to accept or be resigned to what is painful, and another to embrace it. Wisdom traditions East and West encourage embrace, they teach and preach that by embracing what is we can become better, more whole and holy, and more compassionate toward ourselves and others. One proponent of this way of thinking was philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche who coined the phrase “amour fati,” love your fate. Had he encouraged us to like our fate I would take issue with this notion, for that would surely be masochistic. But to love our fate is a matter not of the mind or heart, but of the will.
To will something is not a matter of willpower; rather, it is the sober choice to say “yes” to life, like it or not. I wish I had better news, a magic wand, and easy out from the troubles that afflict us, but this being an adult thing is tough at times because it invites us to love our fate, to face into life, to embrace what is.
Attuned to Soul 
This came at a time when I have been thinking about a current hard thing…what if this is it from now on? What if it doesn’t improve? What then? I felt a nudge from the Spirit…’continue on; you are still you and maybe even a better, more compassionate version.’ Yes, it’s hard to face changes, especially unwanted ones. But fighting and complaining and wishing for change just makes it harder. I am learning this, to embrace today’s reality. And each day as it comes. Thank you, Tom.
Grace and Peace,
Rudy
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