[blockquote source=”Pema Chödrön”]Times of chaos and challenge can be the most spiritually powerful . . . if we are brave enough to rest in their space of uncertainty.[/blockquote]

I’ve had quite the difficult past few days, and owing to yet another round of grueling medical tests. I felt anxious, overwhelmed…and just a bit angry, at the uncertainty of that which was sitting there before me.

I was angry because I was beginning to feel sorry for myself.

My dears, there is an unsettling depth to uncertainty. One that leaves us feeling as if we’re staring down a great well…and never knowing when the light shall be returned.

Instinctively, we curse the darkness – terrified of all that may be lurking inside. And, just as when we were so very much smaller – our minds begin spinning magnificent tales…of monsters hiding under beds, and in closets…tucked away in the shadows of each and every corner.

My dears, our deepest fears, meet us in this moment right here. And yet, what do we do?

We pull those proverbial covers over our head – too afraid to take a peek, to see what’s really there.

And, when the morning finally comes – we realize that the ‘big scary monster’ was only just a coat rack, after all.

Seems a bit silly, now doesn’t it? To sacrifice so much of our spiritual self to that which we don’t even know to be real.

And yet, we do it again and again…

My dears, the uncertainty of change can feel quite overpowering, I know. It’s  horrifying and humbling – leaving a space where even the most mindful might easily give up.

But, when we are able to stare directly into our darkest fears, to look beyond the limits of preconceived notions – that’s when we begin to see the absolute truth of who we really are…in all of its rawness and glory.

[blockquote source=”Pema Chödrön”]We are given changes all the time. We can either cling to security, or we can let ourselves feel exposed, as if we had just been born, as if we had just popped out into the brightness of life and were completely naked. Maybe that sounds too uncomfortable or frightening, but on the other hand, it’s our chance to realize that this mundane world is all there is, and we could see it with new eyes and at long last wake up from our ancient sleep of preconceptions.[/blockquote]

And, that my dears – can be one of the most liberating moments, of all.

Much love, my dears – and remember, it’s often the darkness that helps to define our greatest light.