Stop Trying To Justify Staying Miserable

Recently I was leading a discussion at a book store in Chicago about some of the concepts and back story that led to the writing of my book, Ancient Pact. People sipping tea and nibbling on sweets were seated in the café area and more people sat or stood around the perimeter.

One of the concepts of the book is that “coincidences occur where life and destiny intersect.” For my purposes, karma and destiny are basically the same thing. I believe destiny is self-created and results from an individual’s thoughts, words and actions in this and previous lifetimes.

Coincidences serve as “wake up” alerts that the person or persons are at a critical intersection and the use of free will becomes even more important. In other words, make choices wisely and with deliberate consciousness. Life will present opportunities and “coincidences” and it’s up to the person to use free will to either continue on the path he or she is on or make different choices.

I was sharing these views with the standing-room-only gathering when a rather tattered-looking man noisily joined the group. His shoulders were hunched under a heavy brown jacket that seemed to wear the dust of many ages. Despite the sadness in his eyes I could see a glimmer of hope in them..

Near the conclusion of my presentation he raised his hand and asked something like, “But what if you can’t get over all of the bad things that have happened? What if the past is so horrible there is no recovery?”

Clearly this man had experienced something from which he believed he could not rise above. I shared one of the other concepts from Ancient Pact which is that reality is greater than perception. This means that as immortal beings we occupy a temporary body to experience the physical realm in ways we can’t experience it from the spiritual, nonphysical realm. For example, a woman may experience great pain when she mistakes her body for her true identity. She is not a body that HAS a soul. She IS a soul or Spirit-self who HAS a body.

This man had allowed his terrible past to "define" him and keep him in emotional, mental and spiritual jail. His past had become his present reality and clearly he had forgotten he is a spiritual being that exists beyond this physical experience.

He told the group that he had been through counseling and it didn’t work. He also said he was unwilling to forget the event and move forward.

I then pointed out that he could use his free will to get the help he needed. Pain and grief often cloud rational thoughts. Sometimes we all need a helping hand to get past life's challenges and see from a fresh perspective. At this point I pulled out samples of the Ancient Pact, Deck One: Spiritual Contemplation Cards that will be available in June. I had him draw a card. He pulled the one that said, “Stop Trying To Justify Staying Miserable.”
(See the card at the bottom of this newsletter.)

I felt chills as I witnessed the wonderful “coincidence” unfold.

He laughed and said, “These cards are brilliant. This is perfect.”

I said, “Not only is it ‘brilliant’ that you selected the perfect card, but you know that the message is true. How much longer do you want to live in the shadows of your past?”

His eyes were bright and his smile genuine as he shook the card at me and said, “I’m going to have to think about this. Can I keep the card?”

Of course I let him keep the card and I wished him prosperous and joyful use of his free will. My sincere wish is that the man in the dusty brown jacket view this "coincidence" as an intersection for healing. He can choose to continue on his current pain-filled path or he can choose another path toward healing. May the hope I saw in his eyes blossum into reality.

Other people drew equally compelling cards for their lives. A few even gasped and said something like, "This is exactly what I've been struggling with." Some people might call these random selections of cards “coincidences.” I call them intersections of life and destiny. When a person is ready for growth the cogs in the universe align to make it happen.

Have you been noticing unusual coincidences or synchronicities? Do you have some very important decisions to make?

May each of us always do that which is for the highest good of All or for the greatest number of beings. May we learn from our mistakes and apologize where that is what is the right thing to do. May all beings be blissfully blessed.