Strong Enough

Like I have said before, I enjoy reading and studying different cultures and religions. I have collected several books on Buddhism because my love for yoga had me in search of what everything about yoga meant. Yogis rely heavily on the Buddhist religion for their meditation practices and overall mental well being. When I get interested in something, I dive head first and want to learn everything about it. I feel the need to dig deeper and find the roots and inter-workings of that particular interest. I read books, I google, I subscribe to magazines... it gets pretty ridiculous at times. I can get consumed by it and it usually drives my husband crazy.



A couple of months ago I picked up "The Pema Chodron Collection" at a book store. This book is a collection from individuals that spent time with the Dalai Lama at one of his teachings. The Dalai Lama does these often to inform those interested about the Buddhist way of life. I am not a Buddhist expert but I never seem to be disappointed everytime I open a book on the religion. What I take away from the Dalai Lama's work is a realistic, simple and selfless point of view. I think that is something that everyone could benefit from eventhough you are devoted to another religion. It makes you realize that you can always give more of yourself. I have read several books by the Dalai Lama and his words are so pure and to the core of life. There is no fluff.



I haven't read a word of this book yet until the other day. I was sitting in bed on my laptop about to publish a blog about the reason why we go through hardships and why we experience pain. I felt the need to write a blog on this subject after getting back home from an unexpected trip to East Texas to visit my Mimi in the hospital. She was walking out of the grocery store when she was struck by a vehicle and was care flighted to East Texas Medical Center to undergo emergency surgery for a brain hemorrhage.



I deleted the blog because it seemed like a sob story for myself when it was my Mimi going through probably the hardest thing she has gone through in her whole life. It wasn't my intention for it to sound that way, it's just my words weren't jiving. I closed my laptop screen and opened this book that has set on my bedside table for a couple of months and this was on the first page:



"There's a common misunderstanding among all human beings who have ever been born on the earth that the best way to live is to try to avoid pain and just try to get comfortable. You can see this even in insects and animals and birds. All of us are the same.



A much more interesting, kind, adventurous, and joyful approach to life is to begin to develop our curiosity, not caring whether the object of our inquisitiveness is bitter or sweet. To lead a life that goes beyond pettiness and prejudice and always wanting to make sure that everything turns out on our terms, to lead a more passionate, full, and delightful life than that, we must realize that we can endure a lot of pain and pleasure for the sake of finding out who we are and what this world is, how we tick and how our world ticks, how the whole thing just is. If we're committed to comfort at any cost, as soon as we come up against the least edge of pain, we're going to run; we'll never know what's beyond that particular barrier or wall or fearful thing. "



I wish that these were my words because this is exactly what I was trying to get across. We endure pain and hardships in our life to see what we are made of. These things don't kill us. We learn and gain strength from these moments and hopefully we pass along this strength to others around us. Nothing in this world happens to us because we aren't strong enough to make it through and see it to the other side.



Ever since I can remember remembering I can hear my Dad say, "The good Lord doesn't put anything on us that we can't handle." This statement has become more apparent these days. This is one of the truest statements to live by and remember when there are things in our lives that aren't going according to the "perfect plan".



We are strong enough for the pain. Period. It brings out the best in us.



Show the world what you are made of.



Love, Kaci