Day 19 of the Fast
This is the last day of fasting and with it comes an ever present touch of sadness as the Baha'i month draws to a close at sunset. There is also anticipation and joy as it is Naw Ruz - the Baha'i new year - and my community is gearing up for what I know will be a wonderful celebration this evening. New beginnings, a fresh start and entry to a year full of possibilities and opportunities, propelled by the energies released by the Fast. The question I posed this morning was; what virtue do I need to maintain this feeling of peace, calm and serenity that I have so carefully and painstakingly cultivated this past month, with the unyielding and palpable aid of those mysterious spiritual forces that have been ever present? I smiled widely at the card of enthusiasm. It was abundantly clear that I cannot maintain anything without being excited about life and open to the wonders that each day holds. Approaching each day in this way and remaining ever firm in the belief that although these invisible forces were in abundance this past month, they are always present and I need only turn to them and call on their assistance for their help and support. My mind is prone to wanting to wallow in the difficulties of life that have arisen during the Fast, life moving forward as only it does bringing inevitable suffering, sorrow and unhappiness. But however hard these things may be, they are opportunities in disguise. Chances to learn new skills, a gentle loving nudge to take another path, a reminder to release an attachment so that I may live life more fully and wholeheartedly. When I take time to reorient my thinking in this way, I am inviting those in positive energies which give me the creativity, energy and clarity to access a solution. When I take the time to intentionally infuse a mundane task with love and joy, I find that it is no longer a chore to complete but something wonderful that adds to the happiness of the day. The emotions I bring to anything I undertake are always a choice. I forget this feeling that I do not have control over the negativity when it descends, but reclaim my power through the practices of enthusiasm. I believe this is an essential ingredient of living life with an open heart.
Thank you for joining me on this journey through the Fast. I am grateful for your support and hope that these virtues will aid you over this next year. Have you noticed that each and everyday has been a different virtue? This is in sync with the mysterious power of the Fast as each and every day, even each moment, is infused with a different virtue and we never know which one... Happy Naw Ruz!!
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