A Deeper View on Handling Adversity - part 2
“Acceptance looks like a passive state, but in reality it brings something entirely new into this world. That peace, a subtle energy vibration, is consciousness.”
— Eckhart Tolle
I have, admittedly, not attempted to connect with animals in hopeless and abusive situations, on death row, in slaughterhouses, testing labs, etc., because focusing on the tragedies that humans have created is not my purpose. Nevertheless, the animals that responded to my questions about handling life's lemons provided some powerful feedback. Here is the wisdom of Hugo: On Acceptance, Growth and Trust
“This theme will come up over and over again in your discussions with animals because accepting what is—as a part of growth—is one of the toughest lessons of all for humans to embrace. Yes, there is a conflict: on the one hand, you must envision a better world and stand in your power to create positive change, but this is always like a magnet, pulling against another magnet called ‘accepting things as they are.’
“Acceptance means you’re turning things over to God’s will, and sometimes God’s plan for our growth is not the same as the vision of peace, love and understanding that we hope to create. Growth doesn’t happen when things are easy, whether that means physically (as with growing pains), emotionally, mentally or spiritually. God has set it up that way so that you value the change because you’ve earned it.
“This is why being adaptable is so important; you may set an intention and have it be for the highest good of all, and then wham—it appears to blow up in your face and you’re sent down a path that seems totally unrelated. In just the way that time is not linear, neither is learning: you zig and zag, get a little of this, a little of that, and it doesn’t seem like it will lead anywhere but down the line, all the pieces of the puzzle fall beautifully together, and with hindsight, you understand why you had to experience so many seemingly unrelated things.
“Spiritually-minded people talk a lot about surrendering to the universe. That’s another way to say, ‘I accept what unfolds, even if I don’t understand it. I realize I’m not the one driving the bus.’ Most of the time, animals don’t get to call their own shots and are subject to the will of humans, so our lives are a crash course in acceptance and adaptability. Humans, on the other hand, have gotten so used to operating from their own desire, will and hard work that they often find themselves going against the flow of life and never see the bigger picture. Then they wonder why things are so hard and they’re asking, ‘Why doesn’t this ever work/happen for me?’
“It is better to look for synchronicities, when the universe is extending an invitation to you to ‘take this path.’ Turning things over does not mean being lazy, weak or directionless. It means realizing that you are part of something bigger than you, and there is a point to all this. Staying aware of signs—including seemingly ‘crazy’ intuitive urges to visit someone or study something—these are all parts of the patchwork quilt that is what you like to call your ‘life purpose’. You have to hold on through the not- knowing-why and the hazy parts. That’s where trust comes in: trust in God or Nature or the Universe or anything that is bigger than you and unknowable.”