"And what is life? Life is an opportunity. To the optimistic person the opportunity is a promise, and for the pessimistic person this opportunity is lost. It is not that the Creator makes one lose it, but it is the person who withdraws him or herself from the possibility of seizing the opportunity." These are Murshid's words. He gives this message in many ways, in different places. Life is an opportunity. What opportunity am I seeing in my life right now? How easy it is to say: if only things were different. If only my back didn't hurt. If only I had more money. If only people respected me. We can make a very long list of "if only."
What would it be like if I regarded the experiences in my life, right now, as coming from the hand of God? How would my attitude change?
It is a very funny thing, how we reject the opportunity. Or think we can improve upon the opportunity. If only... My Mother used to say, "don't wish your life away." And I would understand, but I was so young, and there were so many things that I wanted to be different. That I thought would be better, if they were different. And maybe they would have been. But there is always something, isn't there. If only...
So when we come to the spiritual path, we recognize that experience is a mix of "what is", and "what my attitude is." The glasses that I am wearing, through which I am looking. They may be sunglasses. They may be rose-colored glasses. But my attitude-glasses shape and form what I am experiencing. What if...I looked through glasses of neutrality, of real objectivity, of seeing things "as they are." What if...the opportunity of life transformed my attitude?
Challenge – thank you for presenting this line of thought from Murshid. I will take it deeper into my thoughts. I am attracted to this possibility. Perhaps because today – right this moment, all is rather well and no black holes of despair or discontent. Today at this moment, I feel hopeful. So, I can allow the concept of the “hand of God.” Tomorrow, when the black hole reveals itself, perhaps more difficult. Thinking… And there is always so much to be thankful for. You know who you are!