When we are faced with a very difficult situation we have a choice: we can either be resentful and try to find somebody or something to blame for the hardships, or we can face the challenge and grow. The flower shows us the way, as its passion for life leads it out of the darkness and into the light. There is no point fighting against the challenges of life, or trying to avoid or deny them. They are there, and if the seed is to become the flower we must go through them. Be courageous enough to grow into the flower you are meant to be. ~ Osho

One of my Facebook friends is a wise, funny, happy guy with a sweet life and a wife he praises constantly. He posted on his wall that girlfriends from his early years wrote to him of their horrible life conditions and their undying love for him. So, the ladies of his long-ago-life are pining for him. That’s not much of a surprise.

I actually have a lot of compassion for those who long for the path not taken. Creating a fantasy around what could have been can be a powerful elixir, buffering the necessary pain of taking a hard look at the life we’ve created. I know because I’ve been there, done that, allowing fantasy to become my distraction. I’ve seen friends and clients experience much the same. By not engaging in his long-ago loves’ fantasies, my friend may have actually helped them to come into their power by fully facing their present circumstances.

Whenever anything in our world before our eyes seems to demand healing, we can bet that there’s something inside us too that needs healing. With the help of a friend, coach, or other trusted person, we may go within, to the world behind our eyes, shining the flashlight on the shadows inside, seeing what thoughts and beliefs have guided our choices up until now – those pesky ones that remain hidden from our conscious mind most of the time. We may come to see our projections, that which has been invisible to us about ourselves, but somehow always seems to show up in others to annoy us. The more we shine the light within, clearing away whatever thoughts no longer serve us, the more the worlds within and in front of our eyes radiate joy and love.

In our conscious evolutionary journey, we all must bring our energy into present time by releasing our fixation on the past and our worries of the future. This may look like releasing our stories of our past that keep us stuck and feeling less than whole. We may need to release fantasies related to our past or to our future. We may also need to engage in that challenging but oh-so-rewarding journey of forgiveness for anyone we perceive has wronged us. If we look carefully enough, we will surely find the gifts in our life-experiences. As we clear away all these energies drains, we are more filled with vibrant health and emotions.

It’s not the easy path, but it is the most effective in avoiding and healing dis-ease while creating the life of our dreams. No one can do this work for us, not even the objects of our fantasies. There are no shortcuts. It’s worth the effort.

I see your beautiful, blossoming spirit. I celebrate, honor and love you.

Where do you perceive energy leaks in your life?

What fantasies do you hold of your past or for your future?

How will you create more space for present-time living today?