Please close your eyes.
This meditation is meant to smooth the ride on the bumpy road of your life.
The intention for today's practice is to cultivate the pillars of joy that leads to greater inner peace and inner joy.
Sit comfortably.
You can sit with your feet on the floor or cross-legged.
Place your hands comfortably on your legs or in your lap.
Take several deep breaths through your nose.
Let your body begin to relax.
Relax your heart and feel lighter.
And now,
Let your problem come to your mind.
Reflect on the situation,
Person,
Or challenge that is causing you suffering.
And now,
See yourself and your problem from a wider perspective.
Try to step back from yourself and your problem.
See yourself and your struggle as if you were watching a movie about your life.
Now think about this problem from the future,
From a year or a decade from now.
Recognize that your problem will pass.
See how your problem shrinks and you see it in the wider context of your life.
And now,
See yourself as one of seven billion people and your problem as part of the pain and suffering that so many human beings experience.
See how deeply connected we are.
How deeply connected we are with each other.
You are part of the flowering of the universe in your particular place and time.
Your connection to others makes you much stronger and capable of solving your problems.
Smile and see if you can chuckle at your problems,
At your shortcomings,
At your frailties.
Try to find the humor in the situation and in your struggle.
The human drama is often a comedy and laughter is the saving grace.
This ability to laugh allows us to accept life as it is.
Broken and imperfect even as we aspire for a better life and better world.
And now accept,
Accept that you are struggling and accept that you have human limitations.
Remind yourself that these painful realities do happen to us,
To all of us.
Acknowledge that you cannot know all the factors that led you to this event.
And now remind yourself,
In order to make the positive contribution to this situation,
I must accept the reality of its existence.
And now place your hand on your heart and forgive yourself for any part you may have played in creating this problem or this situation.
Recognize that you are human and you will inevitably fall short of your aspirations.
You will hurt and you will be hurted by others.
And now think of three or more people or things that you are grateful for in this problem in your life right now.
Can you find ways in which your problem is actually contributing to your life and growth?
And there are people or things that are supporting you to face this challenge.
And now put your hand on your heart or place the palms of your hands together at your heart.
Have compassion for yourself and for how long you have been struggling.
Remember,
It takes time to learn and grow.
You are not meant to be perfect.
Suffering is inevitable.
It is part of the fabric of life.
The goal is to use them as something positive.
Feel the loving kindness shining from your heart throughout your body.
And now send that compassion to your loved ones,
To anyone who is struggling,
To anyone who is in need of your love and compassion.
And now feel the deep generosity that is in your heart.
Imagine yourself radiating this generosity of the Spirit to all around you.
How can you give your gifts?
How can you transform your problem into an opportunity to give it to others?
When we give joy to others,
We experience true joy ourselves.
Feel this joy.
Feel this moment.
And gently bring awareness back into your body.
And kindly open your eyes.
