“Trouble creates a capacity to handle it…meet it as a friend, for you’ll see a lot of it and had better be on speaking terms with it.” ~Oliver Wendell Holmes
What would it mean for you to meet trouble as a friend—as something that will expand your capacity to problem solve and deal with challenges—instead of as an enemy there to defeat you?
“Grapes must be crushed to make wine. Diamonds form under pressure. Olives must be pressed to release oil. Seeds grow in darkness. Whenever you feel crushed, under pressure, pressed or in darkness, you’re transforming. Trust the process.” ~Lalah Delia
When challenges come our way and our life as we have known it is crumbling before our eyes, it often feels like the end of the world for us. It’s easy to let fear take control in moments like these. Recognizing that these are moment of transformation makes it easier to face the fear, have courage, and trust the process to lead us into new beginnings.
“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning to sail my ship.” ~Louisa May Alcott
The more we learn to sail the ships of our lives, the less we need to fear the storms of life because we have learned how to navigate the challenges we face. Our confidence in our capacity to handle life’s storms makes them easier to bear.
“May the flowers remind us why the rain was so necessary.” ~Xan Oku
It’s easy to get so caught up in the challenges of life’s rain storms that we miss the flowers that result. Kintsugi living is all about learning to seek out and appreciate the flowers in our lives.