Does It Have To Be A Struggle?

It is snowing here this morning and I am trying to get myself motivated to go for a run. This is my long run up on the mountain trails day so I will be out there in 20-degree weather for over an hour. I enjoy pushing myself for fitness and when tired I love the downhill to the finish. In the past I have talked about going with the downstream flow of life as a better option to the struggles we put ourselves through trying to battle against the current.

This battle against the current starts in the mind where you and I place ourselves at odds with our tasks, work, loved-ones, etc. There is really nothing to struggle against unless you have the thought that this is a battle you have to wage. Take a moment to tune in right now and ask yourself: where in your life do you feel struggle? Is the struggle real or is it more in your mind? The answer if you are truly honest is within you.

Yesterday I wrote about self-discovery and your mind. Today I am inviting you to get to know yourself better by identifying where your thoughts get in your own way. Where do your thoughts hold you back by believing it is better to fight upstream and succeed than it is to find you way to go with the flow of an abundant life? There is this heroic battling journey of the mind we get invested in and that is called the ego. Then there is the more intuitive journey of joy and freedom. Which would you rather have?

Humans are such creatures of our upbringing and societal influence. As you grow up you learn from the struggles of your family, the competition of school, about fighting the internal evils from church, and other lessons and you think you life will be about trying to make it through all the barriers inside and out. These lessons, each one of them, need to be questioned. As an adult you will do much better in life if you see how these learned perspectives need to re-examined. The more you look at how you view things, the freer you will be to create the life you want.

This may seem kind of complicated this thought watching / critical thinking process. It can be if you make an effort out of it. My suggestion is that through your day you become mindful of your thoughts, you get to know what is going on in your head. This process takes some time but it can be enlightening and enjoyable. The enjoyable part is that you get to know yourself and the silliness of your thoughts and that can be entertaining. The enlightening part is that the more you know who you are, the more you can consciously create the life you desire.

I hope to bring greater clarity to this discussion as we go along. Simply put, my point today is that if you get to know how you think, you can do much to free yourself of your struggles in life. All struggles come from thoughts and you can always change your thoughts.