"The source of all glory is acceptance of whatsoever the Lord hath bestowed, and contentment with that which God hath ordained."~Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 155
I have been searching for a place to direct my energy, somewhere for my gifts and talents to flourish. I do experience this with the community development work I do, the people I have the bounty to spend time with and the array of experiences I have amassed. It has always felt as though I was being primed for something more... but what? Then a pathway previously hidden becomes visible and I am amazed. When life offers up an opportunity I have had to harvest the courage from the feelings of unworthiness that simmer on the surface of my thoughts. I find myself at this juncture. Wanting to reach out and rise to the station to which I feel called, surprised that such an opportunity makes itself known at this time and strangely certain that this is exactly what I need at this stage in my life. To say that there are no doubts percolating up would be false but there is a perceptibly stronger sense of trust that life is providing exactly what is necessary for right now. In the past, I would have this cascade of nervous energy, seeking out approval from others to bolster my own courage to move forward on a new path. I have reached out to friends and family, not for approval but rather for information on which I may base my own decision. It has been lovely to receive their confirmation for pursuing this path but that is the cherry on top because I did not seek it, it was extra. This is a different tactic for me and comes from a place of actively learning how to be satisfied with who I am, what I have and a desire to want to be of further service to my community. Despite this, there are many fears that plague me still and this is where I realise that I need to strengthen my practice of contentment. I draw strength from the quotation above and to offer prayers for capacity and worthiness. I know that when a path has been destined for a soul the only barrier to that soul achieving its place in life is that soul itself. How many times have I come in between myself and progress? Too numerous to count but I believe it is contentment that assists in getting me out of my own way. To adopt a peaceful countenance and recognise that this opportunity gives me the space to spread my wings and open to the gifts that life has bestowed, and be thankful. I need not worry about the past or bleed energy into being anxious about the future, but wallow in the beauty of what is now.
It's a life-long learning project - for all of us.