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Adversity as a growth opportunity.

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This weeks’ topic for reflection is, adversity as a growth opportunity. It’s not unusual for life to throw us a curve ball. Sometimes we even get hit by the pitch and it hurts. Some adversity is not merely a challenge but it can be life changing.

Lets start with adversity that looks like difficulty or a challenge. You can always approach it as a victim as if you have been singled out in an unfair way. You can also see it as the normal coarse of life and step up and deal with it the best you can. Both of these options result in growth. The former leads to a negative growth and the latter a positive growth. Also easy doesn’t result in growth. We’re already good at it. It’s easy and we have done it before successfully and are confident of having mastered it. Growth can require effort, sometimes even struggle.

When stuck or overwhelmed by adversity pause and think what do you can to do right now. Take a little step. Do something. Right now might be manageable. Take refuge in right now. Also have compassion for yourself. Blaming yourself for your situation does not help. Do the best you can including being open to what might happen next. You are responsible for what you do and accountable for what you do. Almost all of what happens is not a result of what you have done. Suzuki Roshi said, “It takes a lot of patience to develop patience.” So be kind to yourself. You can’t change what happened but you always get another chance to do better.

It’s also easier when we do it together. People who lost their homes, possessions and neighborhood to wild fire found comfort in being together in their loss. Being alone can spiral down. Being together can spiral up. There's wisdom and satifation in being close, together.

Often there is a feeling or dread that to act will entail risk. Risk of loss. Sometimes significant loss. Even existential loss. Gain and loss are natural and constantly at play. A sense of risk comes with attachment to having things stay the same. We can also feel If I don’t move or act I won’t risk making a mistake. The biggest attachment is that I can be something unchanging. I have to hang on to a belief in who and how I am or I won’t exist. The stronger the self clinging, the greater the feeling of risk. Think of a time when you stepped up to the fear of risk and acted. What motivated you to act even though you didn’t know what would happen? How were you able to find the freedom to act?

We are all inherently, infinitely, spacious and free. We, whether individually or collectively, create the limitations. Since we do participate in this limiting behavior we have to work hard at growing, growing up. It’s helpful to see that we are truly limitless and confidently relax into being who and how we truly are. Give yourself permission to be who you are, how you are. Life is change and you're alive. Life is a growth opportunity.

Please join us for morning Zoom zazen from 7:00 to 7:30 Tuesday and Thursday, in person zazen at the McNail Riley House Saturday morning from 9:00 to 11:00 and Sunday morning Zoom zazen and discussion of the topic for reflection blog from 8:00 to 9:00 Pacific Time. Here’s the Zoom link:


Meeting ID: 811 6100 3357

Passcode: 278259


Gassho,

Futai

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