Why Me

If you open yourself to loss,
you are at one with loss
and you can accept it completely.
Open yourself to the Tao,
then trust your natural responses,
and everything will fall into place.
(Tao Te Ching)

Self-pity is a classic ego trap. "Why me?" we ask and consider ourselves a victim of our fate. No one is a victim really. We all choose our experiences to learn, to break free from old patterns, and to advance on our spiritual journey. Everyone has to go through life stages that are hard to accept. Death of people near to us, illness, professional failures, broken relationships, and eventually, our own death. Everyone has to go through this, even the so-called enlightened folks. There is something you can do though, please make sure that you die only once and not a thousand times. It is the anticipation of loss that is so painful. As far as the actual loss is concerned, why don't you first see how it actually feels to be in that situation.  Be open to everything that comes your way. If the Tao has put you in this situation there must be a silver lining behind the cloud.

How should you react when a friend faces hardship? Be one with her pain but see though it at the same time. Next to her stands her Self that she can always tap into.  We are all born with the ability to break through the veil.  In fact, we often dig these holes for the very reason that we want to discover the giant within.  Be one with everything that comes your way, good and bad, and see how acceptance brings transcendence. Why should we complain if fate is of our own making?  As the Tao says, open yourself to everything that comes your way, trust your natural responses and everything will fall into place.

By Christian and Su Zhen