Link: "The Difference Between Setting Boundaries and Shutting People Out"

The title of the article describes its content very well, so I'll just say it's excellent, and well worth a read. Thanks to Tiny Buddha and author Holly Hurban. Click here to check it out. 

Tiny Buddha Published One of My Articles!

I am delighted to share that Tiny Buddha (www.tinybuddha.com) published one of my articles yesterday. What a thrill! If you aren't familiar with Tiny Buddha, I highly, highly recommend it -- add it to your bookmarks, RSS feed, etc. It's chock full of excellent writing and invaluable insight. I'm honored and humbled to have had one of my articles published in that space.

I hope you enjoy it! Click the title below to check it out:

"How We Can Reduce Our Suffering by Feeling Uncomfortable Feelings"

Yeah!

(I found this image on a Tumblr blog, but I believe the image originated at joycemeyer.org)

I love that quote. I love the image, too. Something about it all just resonates with me. It's a simple truth, captured by a simple image.

My initial response to this image, aside from downloading it, was to think, "Yeah. I need to be careful about letting my ego get in the way of accomplishing what I want to accomplish." That isn't quite as succinct as the quote and image above, is it? No, it isn't. Follow along anyway.

Think about what I just said from the plant's perspective. The plant sprouts from a seed and starts to grow. It does what it knows it's supposed to do: grow in an UPWARD direction. It expects to keep doing that, and knows it to be correct.

But suddenly it can't grow UPWARD any longer. Something is in its way. 

Think about arriving at that juncture in your own life. There's this thing you know you're supposed to do or accomplish. You're passionate about it; you feel it in your bones; you might even sense it as a calling. 

And then factors entirely out of your control come to bear on the situation, and things get complicated.

In such a situation, it's natural to feel frustrated, disappointed, angry, etc. After all, things aren't working out like you thought and felt they would. Your ego -- the piece of you that processes, mediates, and interprets your experiences in the world -- is working overtime, trying to make sense of this terrible injustice. This is unfair.

I'll bet you see where this is headed. It probably feels a little cheesy, like we're watching the movie "Rudy" or something. The thing is, though, it's true. 

The plant in that image had a decision to make. It could go on raging against that unmovable rock. Or it could just stop. Either way, it wouldn't get anywhere, even though its purpose is to reach the sun. In either case, the plant would become increasingly stressed, and eventually wither and die.

Or, it could do what it did: hold onto its purpose (to get to the sun), make a critical change (grow sideways), and resume growing UPWARD when the coast is clear.