From the Heart

"I lost my career, my house, and I found myself alone for many hours a day -- it was really a rude awakening."

Judy's choice of words struck me. "You've told me about the rude part," I responded. "What about the awakening?"

"Well, there were some major blessings," she admitted. "I quit running around like a crazy woman; I was always on call. I would be driving home after my shift at the hospital, my beeper would go off, and I would turn right around. I began to think about what I really wanted to do with my life, and I went back to college. And I had more quality time with my kids. In the long run, I'm better off."

The Chinese written character for the word "crisis" is a combination of two other characters: "danger" plus "opportunity". Every crisis could lead to a result that would hurt us, but it could also empower us. The outcome depends not on the events, but on what we do with the events. If you can find the blessing, you are on your way to freedom.

In his books about what he terms positive disintegration, psychologist Kzimierz Dnabrowski explains how a nervous breakdown is a healthy experience, serving as a safety valve for a life on the verge of blowing up. When Dnabrowski's patients' lives fell apart, they had to step back and realize how the way they were living was not serving them. Then they had a chance to choose a more meaningful path. So their breakdown became a breakthrough.

A Course in Miracles tells us, "All change is good." It is only when we use limited vision that the world seems to be against us. The only worthwhile question to ask of a challenge is, "How can I use this to help me?" Consider the difficulty your friend, and you will discover that it is not a curse from the devil, but a gift from God.

As my friend Judy described the changes resulting from her hand injury, she reported, "The thing that drove me most crazy was when my 'spiritual' friends asked, "How did you create this?" If my hand had been healthy, I would have punched them! While I was hurting physically and emotionally, the last thing I wanted to feel was guilty about doing something stupid."

"I would like to ask you the same question with a different twist," I told Judy. "How in wisdom did you create the event?

How, through loving yourself, did you draw such an experience into your life?"

"The truth be told," Judy answered, "I was quite unhappy with my life the way it was, but I didn't want to confront my fears about making a change. I needed a dramatic event to get my attention. If I were challenged in a lesser way, I probably would have just gone on clinging to my old security blankets but feeling empty inside."

Dramatic events are orchestrated by an organization called In-Your-Face-Productions. This company writes scripts and hires actors that are so loud and obvious that you can't possibly miss the message. They specialize in wake-up calls. I had a little alarm clock that would beep very softly at first, and then beep progressively louder until I had no choice but to awaken. Such is life: if you don't respond to the whisper, you get the slap.

The important thing to remember when confronted with In-Your-Face-Productions is that it is not a punishment. It is a gift. The only thing more cruel than turning your old life upside down, would be to let it go on the way it was not working.

Such is grace.

A Course in Miracles explains that the word "challenge" is a misnomer, for it implies that there is a chance we may fail, and that is impossible. We may make mistakes along the way that make our lessons difficult and delay our graduation, but as children of God, eventually we must succeed. Remember this promise, and you will recognize your ability to meet and master all challenges.

The story is told about a king who could not sleep because he had a nightmare that the world would spin off its axis and fall into the void. So he called his wizard and anxiously told him of the vision.

"Not to worry," the wizard responded. "The world is held in place by a huge cosmic bear."

"Thank you," replied the king, "I feel better now." Comforted, he went back to sleep.

An hour later the wizard was once again summoned to the king's chamber, where he found the monarch again disturbed. "But what is holding the bear up?" he asked, distressed.

"Ah," answered the wizard, "there is a huge old turtle upon which the bear stands firmly."

"That's good," the king replied, and went back to bed.

An hour later the wizard was not surprised to be called again. When he arrived at the king's room, the ruler opened his mouth to ask another question. Before he could get the words out, though, the wizard raised his hand and spoke: "It's turtles all the way down."

Alan Cohen is the author of the bestselling The Dragon Doesn't Live Here Anymore. To order Alan's new book I Had It All the Time or request a free catalog of Alan's books, tapes, and workshop schedule, write to Hay House, Post Office Box 5100, Carlsbad CA 92018, or call 1-800-462-3013. For information about Alan's Mastery Training held in Hawaii and focusing deeply with twenty-four participants, write to 430 Kukuna Road, Haiku, Hawaii 96708 or phone 1-808-572-0001.

Next Article

Return to This Month's Index