How can we find blessings in challenging times?

When things are tough, when we have problems and challenges, how can we find blessings in those times? We could have financial challenges, relationship problems, health issues or any variety of situations to deal with at this moment.

Now let’s look at what has happened in the past. Have we been in a similar situation previously? How did we get out of the situation then? Can we apply a similar solution to our current position?

We have survived
Before we go any further, let’s be aware that we have been in similar situations previously and we have survived them. We have gotten through them. While we were in the middle of the challenge it looked like there was no solution but we did get through it. We have survived every challenge we have ever met in our lives. We are still here alive and in reasonable shape. There is no reason to think that we won’t get through this current challenge.

Some of our issues may not have been completely sorted out. We may have done enough to get away from them but left the core issue unresolved. These kinds of issues can be a challenge to overcome because we have avoided them in the past and we want to continue avoiding them. We resist going near them. This attitude of ours makes the issue bigger than it really is.

We have now created two challenges, one is the issue itself and the other is the fear of it or our resistance to sorting it out. Our mental picture of the situation is a mess, we can’t seem to solve it and it can be something we don’t even want to look at, let alone deal with.

The easiest part
The way to solve a big challenge is to deal with it a little at a time. Find the easiest part of the challenge and deal with that. It may take time to handle this first part but it is a start. Once we’ve got that easy thing under control, let’s have a look at the next easiest thing. If we keep chipping away at the challenge, there will come a time where the complete issue has been dealt with. It just takes, time, patience with the issue and ourselves, and the desire and determination to deal with the challenge.

A technique we can use to bring a little more happiness into our lives in challenging times is to be in the moment. Be aware of who we are, where we are and the blessings we have now, at this moment of our life.

We are not focused on reality
Life is a long string of moments strung together to create our lives. At any moment we can be focused on the past, the future or now. If we are looking to the past we may be wishing for the happier times or regretting an event or we may be influenced by something that happened in the past.

If we are focused on the future, we may be looking forward to the possibility of a happier time, we may be fearful of a challenge ahead, we may be trying to orchestrate our way to a position in the future. Whether we are focused on the past or the future, we need to recognise that we are not focused on reality. We are looking at something that is over and done with in the past or our idea of possible outcomes in the future. Neither of these are real, now at this moment.

Where we are now
While these things do affect us, we can lessen their influence on us by focussing our attention on where we are now at this moment. Let’s take a little time to explore where we are now.

So where are we now? I am reading this article. I am breathing. I’m focused on these words to see where they will lead...

Can we focus on this moment, now? Let’s listen to the world around us. What sounds do we hear? What pictures do they create in our mind? Now let’s observe the place where we are. What colours are around us, what shapes, what rooms or buildings are we in? What position are we in, are we standing, sitting or lying down? Let’s just observe these sounds, images and thoughts.

Can we see any gifts or blessings in our current situation? Are we safe, fed, clothed, comfortable, among friends, etc. There are many other blessings personal to us which we can count such as, special people in our lives, pets, position, surroundings, and love. Writings, poetry, music and songs are more blessings we can count. The HU Song is a blessing which can bring us even more blessings.

HU Song
HU is a very positive sound which opens a channel between us in the physical world and Soul deep in our inner worlds. HU is a song from Soul’s home. Our physical world is bound in time and space, the past, present and future. Soul lives in the moment, in the now. It can only be in the now. The HU song helps us reconnect with Soul, our true happy loving self. By reconnecting with Soul we get a higher viewpoint of our life and our situations. From this perspective we can often see different aspects of our challenges and sometimes we may even see a possible solution.

Now is the time to take five to fifteen minutes to be in the moment, to connect with Soul. Where ever we are we can pretend to spend a little time with on this article but more so on ourselves, exploring this moment. If we are alone we can close our eyes, sing HU and focus on this moment and the blessings we have here and now. If we are among people, we can sing the HU song quietly within ourselves and observe the blessing surrounding us. Let’s look for the good things and the positive side of what is with us now.

Begin now. HUUuuuuuuu.

May the blessings be.

*Ed Parkinson

Click here to find more blessings in the other articles on the Spiritual Writings page.