Tag Archive | growth

The spiritual climb

Aug29

Our body is an external shell
Our spirit what animates it
Our body matures and eventually declines
But our spirit in on a never ending journey

The delight we take in beauty and art
The creativity that flows from us
The compassion we feel for others
Our patience and perseverance
These qualities of our spirit never age
If anything they flourish in time
Experience polishes them
And makes them shine

Age is an expression of the days we’ve lived
But as far as our inner attributes are concerned
Age does not lead to decline
On the contrary
We can continue to climb
August 29th, 2016

Bitter medicine

Aug24

Sometimes we see pain as an anomaly
As something that gets in the way of our ‘happiness’
Or we see periods of pain as lost time
As a detour on the way we were headed

We don’t want to be in pain
Or see others in pain
I think that’s normal of course
But pain seems to be unavoidable in this life
And even necessary for our growth

Pain, like a violent force
Shatters the ego
Our image of ourselves
As in control and self sufficient
Breaks down
Sometimes we glue the broken pieces together
Only for it to break one more time.

Pain is a teacher as well
It helps us learn to reach out to friends
To trust in them
Pain shows us we need each other in our lives

Pain helps us better understand the suffering of others
The depth of their despair
It causes us to try to find a way to help
Those in distress

We were created to endure pain
That’s the mechanism by which we grow
Some soul searching is required of course
We need to play our role in this growth

Like bitter medicine
Pain has good results
And in any case
There is no way around it
In our lives

August 22nd, 2016

Easier said than done

Aug11

Emotional upheavals come our way
There is no way to avoid them
Then we have to put long term serenity
Over short term happiness

This is a difficult proposition
Status quo and temporary joy
Have great allure

The human spirit has to rise to the occasion
Flex its muscles
And accept the pain

Of course, all of this is easier
Said than done
August 11th, 2016

Life is messy

Mar15

If we expect life to be a smooth ascent
We’ll be disappointed time after time
If we see challenges as part of life
We’ll be less frustrated and distraught

If we don’t accept wrinkles as part of getting older
We’ll be saddened each time we look in the mirror
If we see them as a natural phenomenon
We may stop noticing them

If we think things should go the way we hope and plan
We’re in for a big surprise
If we realise somethings are out of our hands
We’ll accept detours with an open heart

Life is supposed to be messy, I was told
Otherwise we would not grow
And if I accept that
I’ll see challenges as part of the plan

unpaved road

Sep6

Imagine driving on a road and coming to an unpaved section
There is dust, the road is not smooth, and you slow down

There are two options at this point
Either to keep going and put up with the difficulties of the unpaved road
Or to back track a bit and find an alternate paved route

The second option requires effort
Requires searching for a new way
Even recognizing that there is an alternative

The difficulties of life are like unpaved roads
They are an invitation to look at other options
Other ways of thought
Other behaviour
In other words, growth…

But it’s up to us to accept the invitation or not
We also have the choice to continue on the gravel road
And suffer the consequences and complain
About the state of affairs and the unfairness of the situation
All the time not realizing it’s not the situation that
Has to change, it’s us!

Lida Berghuis
September 4th, 2015

The journey

Aug26

The journey

Can an outward journey lead to an inward journey?
Can we find what we are looking for outside ourselves?

Sometimes a journey to a land far off awakens a dormant part of us
Helps us see with new eyes and enables us to walk a different walk

Sometimes we need to leave the familiar behind
To be faced with uncertainty and unfamiliarity
To appreciate what we already have

Sometimes hearing others’ point of view
Can make us question our assumptions and make us think
It can make us go deeper in the inward journey

And sometimes to journey inward
One need not go anywhere
One needs to open one’s heart
To look with a searching eye
To listen to unspoken words
To live a conscious life

Sometimes the inward journey happens at home
In familiar surroundings, but unfamiliar territory

Both kinds of journey require a thirst for knowledge
A desire for adventure
and being open to change and growth

The outward journey
If it doesn’t lead to an inward journey
Hasn’t fulfilled its potential
It’s the inward journey that transforms us

Lida Berghuis
August 25th, 2015

Transformation

Aug21

It’s the times that we think
Nothing is happening in our lives
Or the times that challenge us most that
Make us who we are

Change happens slowly
Transformation is not a one day affair

And often the experiences that change us the most
Are not the most pleasant

They take us out of comfort One
They make us question our beliefs
They test our endurance and constancy

And only when we look back
Can we see what was happening
Had a transformative effect

But change requires a conscious effort
To see things in a new way
To question our assumptions
To search for meaning

It’s our thoughts and actions
That lead to change
The desire to learn
To look with new eyes
To understand better
To go deeper

And perhaps it can be a solace
During challenging times to know
Life changing can be the result…

The person I’ve become

Jan16

The person I’ve become
Is more authentic, more real!
I don’t wear a mask as much
I confide in my friends

The person I’ve become
Knows her limits better
I don’t compare myself to others as much
I’ve learned to say no more often
I’ve learned to ask for what I need

The person I’ve become
Takes more responsibility
Feels more empowered to create change
To change myself
My thoughts
And therefore my actions and feelings

The person I’ve become
Sees challenges as an integral part of life
Not to run from
But to learn from

The person I’ve become
Takes care of herself
Without self care, one can’t help others
One burns out!

The person I’ve become
Sees interdependence as essential
Life is not meant to be lived in a solitary way
We need each other’s help
We need to build deep, authentic friendships and
Call on each other when we need support and help

The person I’ve become
Knows there is more to learn
There is always room for improvement
Ways to do things better
New ways of thought
Deeper understanding

The person I’ve become
Is more thankful
Seeing good in all that comes my way
The person I’ve become
Tries not to take simple things for granted!

Lida Berghuis
January 15th, 2015

"Forge meaning from adversity"

Jan4

Adversity is a blessing if we are able to look
With the eye of wisdom and see the gems hidden in it

Adversity is opportunity for growth
Adversity makes visible the invisible
Shows us what’s essential and
Guides us to surrender, humility, and acceptance

When faced with adversity
One can crumble and complain incessantly
Or one can decide to take an active part
In tackling the situation
Not running from it
Not hoping for miracles
Not blaming others and even God!
But resolving to see what can be learned
How best one can cope and to keep setting
Noble goals despite what may seem like
Unsurmountable limitations

Lida Berghuis
January 2nd, 2015

Life is hard, but…

Jan4

Inevitable periods of hardship…
Inevitable, because they are part of life
And they have a purpose

I think back to the hardships I’ve experienced
Hardships that are insignificant compared to
What others have experienced

I think back to those times
And wonder how they could have been avoided
How I could have felt less pain, less loneliness, less sorrow

And then suddenly I realise that
Those periods of hardship
Have been a necessary part of my growth
And development

That I need not look back at them
And feel bad for myself
Or wonder why I made the decisions I made

I need to look back with thankfulness
Because each experience has taught me something essential

I need to remember that the life’s purpose
Is not to avoid pain and sorrow
Pain and sorrow, challenges and difficulties
Are essential to our growth

In retrospect, I’m thankful for all that has come my way
The happy times, the sad times
Each and every experience has shaped me
And taught me a precious lesson

Life is hard
But this hardship has a purpose
If we are willing to reflect on our experiences
And grow from them

Lida Berghuis
December 30th, 2014