We all want to be happy. But contrary to what most people assume - we're not owed happiness.
There is this belief that life should break its back for us to be happy, that God should play a harp and throw a party - for us, to be happy.
We start innocent. Full of dreams.
As most of us go through life, our innocence collides with it, with reality.
Our skin is replaced by scars. We lose in softness. We become rigid. Sustained by demons of the past.
As we lose those we love, as our expectations are not met, as we keep feeling trapped. We form beliefs. Life is hard. Stop dreaming. Everyone dies. Nothing's worth it.
This, we call wisdom.
Most people associate wisdom with bitterness. Somehow, wisdom has come to mean: preparing for the worst, repressing our feelings, detaching ourselves from others, from life.
In fewer words, closing ourselves.
Flowers are beautiful. When it's sunny. They're peaceful. When it's raining. They're peaceful.
If we were to enter the kingdom of heaven, as most teachers said - we must become like children, once again.
In most stories, the master is always a childlike soul - one that looks like anything but wise.
It doesn't take too much effort to notice the tremendous intelligence that runs life. The principles, the laws, the architecture, the beauty, the abundance, the diversity. Good Lord!
How could this intelligence just want to create a miserable experience for us?
While most of us have associated wisdom with the act of closing ourselves to life. With ascetism. With saying 'no'. With extremes. With rigidity. With pride. With a lack of aliveness and vitality.
Wisdom is actually the opposite.
Wisdom is about opening ourselves to life.
It's about being vulnerable. It's about being innocent. It's about making mistakes. It's about not taking things too seriously. It's about not taking ourselves too seriously. It's about accepting some embarrassment from time to time. It's about humbleness. It's about laughing. It's about openness.
That's what children do, right? We could be 20, or 80 years old. It doesn't matter. As long as we keep our hearts opened, we learn.
Each experience being a portal to expansion/growth, we always have an opportunity to grow.
Most of the time, the 'unpleasant' experiences outnumber the 'pleasant' ones. And it's okay.
Think of pleasant times/experiences as Sundays, or vacation time. They give us a good break. But they can quickly become boring.
It's only in mental fantasies that endless hours of pleasures seem to be a good thing.
Most people quickly get bored after a certain time. This is because we want to continuously expand - life wants to expand through us.
And that is why, most of the time, life presents itself as an adversary.
Life always gives us the lessons we need to grow at the perfect moment. We may not be completely aware of it, but at some levels - we are the ones requesting those lessons.
Expecting lessons to keep coming therefore is cleverness. Knowing that it won't always be easy is intelligence. Keeping our hearts opened no matter what - is wisdom.
In keeping our hearts opened, we learn to embrace life in all its manifestations.
Each experience turns into another step to growth.
Good times give us a short break.
Most of the time, we play the damn game.
Life is never supposed to make us miserable. It only offers the best opportunity to embody our wildest dreams.
The more we keep embracing it as it comes, the more we heal.
If we want health, wealth, love or anything else - we just have to become aligned with life.
It's that simple.
About the Creator
Rabih
I write about spirituality, not only to inform but most importantly to transform.
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