Our Spiritual lessons come from our everyday life experiences. Even a blind spot can teach us so much about who we are and what we are missing.
I didn't know the van was there until I heard the screech. I braked hard and looked around, wondering where the accident was. When I saw the van inches from my right rear bumper, I literally lost my breath and began to shake. No injuries, to car or physical body, thank God. But it had been so close and if we had collided it would have been my fault. I was making a left hand turn. I never saw the van. It must have been in my blind spot.
Driving away I continued to shake, feeling grateful but still very much alarmed. I never saw the van. I didn't look carefully enough. I didn't pay attention the way I should have. I began to wonder what else I was not seeing, what else was hiding in my "blind spot".
After years of contemplation and study, I know that there are no accidents, everything that happens is an opportunity for growth, for learning, for reaching out and touching the divine. Passing several fender benders over the next few hours, I became more convinced than ever that I should not forget about the "almost accident" but instead use it as a learning, and perhaps teaching opportunity.
Once deciding that I would utilize that morning's incident, I immediately noticed that I was no longer shaking and the ongoing "you almost really messed up this time" chatter in my head disappeared. Lesson number one, a shift in perspective will always bring a shift in ones physical and mental well-being. This one fact, demonstrated so beautifully and succinctly for me is well worth repeating. By looking at what happened not as more evidence of my weakness but as an opportunity for growth, my physical body immediately relaxed and I actually began to laugh. It was as if a light switch went on. I can't help but smile even now, and I am so very grateful that the Universe was able to demonstrate this for me without injury.
Lesson #1:
A shift in perspective will always bring a shift in one's physical and mental well-being.
OK, on a roll now — I looked for other things I was missing. I went back to the street where the incident took place and took a look around. Why didn't I see the van? That's when I noticed the 3 trees. They were big trees, obviously they had been there longer than the 12 years I was in the neighborhood but I had no conscious recollection of their existence. I could see how, if I wasn't pulled up far enough and if I didn't wait long enough I could have missed seeing the van. I realized that the extra few seconds it takes to really pay attention to my physical environment is crucial if I want to live the long, healthy life I am planning on. I determined that I would always be aware of my environment and what is going on around me. For someone like me who spends much of her time exploring the mystical this is definitely no gimme, but this incident has again reminded me of its importance. We may be, as I have come to know, much more than our physical bodies, but our physical bodies are a vital component of our current journey and must therefore be protected and cared for. And personally I have grown quite fond of mine.
Lesson #2:
Always be aware of your physical surroundings.
OK, I have been reminded of the importance of shifting perspective and always knowing where I am. Can I learn anything else? Can I, perhaps, use what happened to shed some light on why I can't lose those last 20 pounds or why a friend's knee pain stubbornly insists on returning no matter how many times we work together to release it? Can I use it to discover my remaining buttons that, when pushed, can still make me yell at the girls or turn on the internal negative self talk? Can I use it to significantly change my world?
I know that everything that exists in my world I have created. There are some things in my life (like those extra 20 pounds) that I would just assume live without, but I take full responsibility for its existence. The reason I sometimes still yell at the girls or cringe at the scale is a bit of a mystery, but I can now say that it is because the reasons are hidden in my blind spot. I can now look at my blind spot, or spots and work to make them smaller, perhaps even disappear. In the same way I learned that I need to position my car just right to see past the trees, I can now reposition myself relative to my "areas needing improvement" and discover a whole new view. In the same way that taking on the near miss as a learning opportunity instead of a Cyndi bashing slowed down my heartbeat and made me laugh, I can use my impatience with the girls as an opportunity to learn to more fully open my heart to everyone I come in contact with.
I feel very blessed for all the lessons I have learned as a result of my almost accident. I am very grateful for the opportunity to share this story with all of you and hope that you take from it whatever it is you need to enrich your day.
I end now with these thoughts, taken from "A Guide for the Advanced Soul":
We are not here just to survive and live long...
We are here to live and know life in its multi-dimensions
to know life in its richness, in its variety.
And when a man lives multi-dimensionally, explores all possibilities available, never shrinks back form any challenge, goes, rushes to it, welcomes it, rises to the occasion then life becomes a flame, life blooms.
— BHAGWAN SHREE RAJNESS (The Sacred Yes)
I thank the Universe for all these Spiritual Lessons, especially when they are as painless as this one.
