Wisdom, Dear One, is not gained by acquiring an understanding of something wise.

And wisdom is not gained by observing someone else demonstrate their understanding of something wise.

Wisdom can only ever be gained, Dear One, through living, through first-hand experience, by walking through the mess.

So keep reading. Keep observing. Keep listening.  Keep searching for inspiration.

But know that eventually, if you really want to get wise, you are going to have to dive-in, head-first, and get a little bit dirty.

It really is the only way.

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The realization that you are bound by nothing but your beliefs and the limits of your own imagination – That is what true independence is, Dear One.

Remember, Dear One, whenever you feel scared, chaotic, lost, or out of control, that your center, your home,  is always only ever one slow, deep breath away.

Make all of your decisions today, Dear One, as if there was someone standing beside you, holding your hand, encouraging you, supporting you, loving you, adoring you, believing in you, cheering you on every step of the way.

Why?

Because there is.

You have no idea just how big of a support system you’ve got working for you behind the scenes.

Please remember to use them.

You’re never going to be finished, Dear One. You’re never going to get it all done.  So you might as well stop trying.  You might as well stop looking for the end.

Allow yourself to accept and be at peace with this reality.  Allow yourself to enjoy the fact that there is and always will be much for you to do – much for you to practice – much for you to learn – oh so very much for you to experience.

You can choose to allow your constantly expanding reality to be a source of stress in your life, or you can choose to embrace it, enjoy it, relax into it and be excited by the fact that change, growth and renewal are available to you in each and every moment.

You will never run out of choices.  You will never run out of options.  You will never run out of opportunities.  You will never get it all done, Dear One.

You will never reach the end of what is possible for you.  Never.

How you feel is rarely the issue Dear One. Your feelings are not the problem.

Issues, problems, challenges, troubles do not arise from having feelings.

They arise Dear One, when you respond poorly to them.

Can you appreciate the difference?

Having bad feelings is not a valid excuse for making bad choices.

Try to remember that the next time that you are feeling badly and you just may save yourself, and those around you, from a world of unnecessary hurt.

You want answers, Dear One?

Then ask your question.

Let’s try doing this together.

*Post your questions in the comments field on the blog, on Facebook, or send them privately in an email.  We will begin to answer them one at a time publicly on The Soul’s Agenda as a daily blog posting.  Replies will be shared with the group but your identity will remain anonymous.  If you would like your reply to remain private, just let us know. 

It is understandable that you would struggle with optimism, Dear One.  That you might more easily anticipate the worse possible outcome, rather than the best.

You have come by this belief rightly so.  You have experienced the worst.  The worst has already happened to you.  And so, you have every reason in the world to expect that it would, or could, happen again.

But here is the thing: Just because it has happened to you, doesn’t mean that it is going to happen to you again.
It could! But It is not a foregone conclusion.  And you, Dear One, are behaving as if it is.

You are fearing what may or may not come to pass.  And as a result, you are missing out on, spoiling even, your present, over something that will most likely never be.

So, how do you not do this?  How do you get past your aversion to optimism, and allow yourself to experience the great pleasure of being able to look forward to, and get excited about, all of the wonderful things that are possible for you in your life ahead, without dread?

• Do you avoid the sun forever because you got a really bad sunburn? It could happen again.
• Do you never eat in a restaurant again because you got really bad food poisoning? It could happen again.
• Do you never get into a car again because you were in a really bad accident? It could happen again.

The truth is Dear One, that only you know.
It is a choice; a decision to be made.  And it is one that only you can make.

What if, in this moment Dear One, you decided to love yourself unconditionally, to nurturer yourself, to honor yourself, to forgive, care for and prioritize yourself, to accept yourself exactly where and as you are, to be a peace?

What if, in this moment, you decided to remember that you are worthy, that you are divine, that the reason that you are here is to have a joyful experience of being alive?

If you did this Dear One, would the next choice that you make, the next answer that you give, the next action that you take, the next words that you speak, the next thought that you think, be any different?

Being patient and waiting are two very different things, Dear One.

Patience is an act of allowing, of knowing, of creating, of quiet anticipation.  It is fluid, changing, and constantly in motion.  It is a powerful, empowering, and confident choice that requires your active, conscious participation throughout.

Waiting is a passive act.  It is stagnant.  It lacks action, energy, movement, and active participation.   It can be frustrating, stressful, and emotionally unpredictable.  It is an inert, submissive, and unempowered choice that does not require much of you once the decision to wait has been made.

So when you are in a spot Dear One, where you think that what happens next is totally and completely out of your hands, think again.

You’ve still got one more choice to make.

And a pretty important one at that.