| It is difficult when we find ourselves dealing with a | | | | smarter. Yes, smarter! My friends and I often call our |
| situation that we would never want consciously to | | | | challenges "reference points." We can have a good |
| create. These days, when many believe that we | | | | laugh about our challenges and say when something |
| create our total reality, we may feel guilty if our life | | | | unpleasant happens (albeit tongue in cheek), "Yeah! |
| seems to contain aspects in it which are untoward. | | | | More reference points!" |
| Whether we have stubbed our toe or are facing a | | | | Many of the most powerful, influential change agents |
| terminal cancer diagnosis, we may wonder why | | | | throughout history had difficult or challenging lives. |
| these unpleasant elements have manifested in our | | | | Having the contrast to what they would have wished |
| lives. Did we create this? Are we vibrationally unfit? | | | | for or would have liked to have created given the |
| With the popularity of the movie "The Secret", which | | | | conscious opportunity, seemed to make them the |
| is about the Law of Attraction (L.o.A.), we may be | | | | leaders and role models they became. Would Harriet |
| tempted to blame ourselves or others when certain | | | | Tubman, a severely beaten slave, been motivated to |
| things have manifested in one's life. While the Law of | | | | free others, had she been a spoiled child? Maybe. But, |
| Attraction does have its place in the scheme of our | | | | my intuition tells me this is doubtful. However, the |
| life, it is just one of many life laws. We may | | | | means do not justify the end. Child abuse, for |
| unconsciously use blame as a way to distance | | | | example, isn't justifiable because someone like Oprah, |
| ourselves from others who are suffering. Some may | | | | takes that experience and uses it for contrast to |
| even think or actually say to sufferers, "Well, you | | | | become more than she might have. But, people who |
| manifested that". Ester and Jerry Hicks (Abraham) | | | | overcome their contrasts do seem to become |
| who first formally began discussing the Law of | | | | especially incredible stellar human beings. Again, |
| Attraction would never wish that the Law of | | | | purposefully visiting pain on others is NEVER |
| Attraction concept be utilized to rationalize | | | | justifiable. |
| callousness or unkindness. While we want to be | | | | I've recently noticed that most of the people in my |
| aware of the power we have in attracting into our | | | | personal life that I am closest to have had a child |
| lives the elements that we wish for, ultimately | | | | that died. At first I thought this was an interesting |
| attracting what we want and becoming more | | | | coincidence. Now, I realize that I am drawn to these |
| actualized beings through contrast is also a powerful | | | | people because they have overcome one of the |
| force. Most of us will relate to the seemingly | | | | greatest pains possible, and have become deeper, |
| paradoxical force of creating and becoming through | | | | kinder, more sensitive and often deeply spiritual |
| contrast. Some metaphysicians believe that we may | | | | people. (I love you guys~you know who you |
| have asked before our birth that we be in challenging | | | | are~thank you for being my friends and heroes!). |
| contrasting roles so that we may have opportunities | | | | Many people will never overcome the contrasts to |
| to work through karma and/or to "get off the | | | | joy in their life. This is why we don't want to invite |
| karmic wheel" altogether through the force of | | | | contrast into our lives or anyone else's life. However, |
| challenge. This idea is similar to that of a body builder | | | | I would invite anyone who has had contrasts to joy |
| who pushes her muscles against the contrasting | | | | and happiness in their life to consciously catapult |
| force of weight encouraging her muscles to grow | | | | themselves into more enlightened and loving human |
| bigger and stronger. Most of us know that when we | | | | beings. It is as if the circumstances of life are the |
| work through difficulties, we have the opportunity to | | | | rubber band pulled backwards as far as possible and |
| become more compassionate, stronger, smarter and | | | | you are the stone also pulled backwards for a period |
| more actualized beings. | | | | of time. However, when the rubber band is released |
| Most of us would never consciously say, "Let me | | | | you are catapulted to heights that you would not |
| choose this particular difficult situation to work | | | | have been able to go had you not been forced |
| through." If we could learn more through joy, | | | | backwards in contrast for that period of time. |
| wouldn't that be great? But, let's face it, most of us | | | | Try not to feel guilty about your contrasts because |
| learn the most through challenge. When we deal with | | | | of the tenor of our times. Remember to be gentle |
| difficulties, we often become better people than we | | | | with yourself. If a child has a wound, wouldn't your |
| ever thought we would or could. We also model for | | | | first response be to take care of it and love it? How |
| others how they might survive, creating a coping | | | | might you use your contrasts to make the world a |
| model for all those who watch us and come after us. | | | | better place? My goal in life is to assuage the |
| We need not feel guilty about suffering. We will all | | | | suffering of all sentient beings (I'm shooting big!). How |
| know suffering. We can choose to become bitter | | | | might you use your suffering for the positive? Like a |
| and angry when we suffer (which is also okay as | | | | surfer riding waves who uses the contrasts in the |
| long as we don't get stuck in it) or we can choose to | | | | tides to move forward, how might you put the force |
| become soft-hearted, loving, compassionate and | | | | of contrasts to use in your life? |