"Help me to find my happiness in my acceptance of what is my purpose in friendly eyes; in work well done; in quietness born of trust, and most of all, in the awareness of your presence in my spirit."
___ Alistair MacLean, "Hebridean Altars"
The dull or continual round of life can set up a pace that gives us little space to appreciate and enjoy it as it turns. We yearn for some new stimulus or a change of pace to help us escape the grindstone that feels as though it is wearing us down. We do indeed need holidays and rest times during which we can refresh ourselves, unscheduled changes from routine that give us new breath, but these are not always possible when life is very demanding. To continue without becoming broken or burned out, we must change the way we perceive our lot in in life.
Without entering the trap of resignation, we can focus instead upon our own life's purpose and see how it sits with our circumstance right now. If our life's purpose is at odds with our present life-style, then a complete change is needed for the sake of survival. But if, as is usually the case, our purpose and our life-style (while not perfectly harmonious) are walking together in the same direction, we can make a renewed dedication to our purpose and tread with better spirit down the road.
We can refocus, not upon our own dull state but upon what is happening around us, in order to express our life's purpose in our work and actions with generous hearts and to live in the moment without chafing at the passage of time. Suddenly, dramatically, the daily round of life becomes a place of revelation that we have not envisaged. Where once we harbored a grudge in our hearts. there is now an entirely different spirit. The daily round no longer seems dull but has its own tides and rhythms. We have become aware of Spirit's presence in a new and wonderful way.
"Meditate upon your life's purpose. Make your own prayer of dedication and implement the suggestions above."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]
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