Faith | Life not going right? Things can always get better

If it’s true, that we reap what we sow, then by sending out kindness, we are paving the way for kindness to be reflected back to us.

From the Dalai Lama’s book, Essential Wisdom: “Since at the beginning of our lives and at the end of our lives we are so dependent on others’ kindness, how can it be that in the middle we neglect kindness towards others”? (p. 27)

My challenge comes in being kind, but firm. When I work with the special education students that I teach at times, I want to be pleasant without being stepped on.

If something is not going right, we need to remember that things always get better.

Someone might say, “I had a rotten childhood,” or “I can’t seem to stay in a relationship,” and “My health has always challenged me.” Here is a perfect candidate for “things can’t help but get better.”

Things always get better. When you believe this, it becomes true. In the same way as you believe it doesn’t get better, it doesn’t get better.

Sometimes we see what is in the news and it seems like a day to put the newspaper down to avoid buying into negative consciousness. Meanwhile, I am knowing that peace and harmony in our country, as well as in the world, is present. The more people live and breath peace, the more we are assured of reaching the tipping point, the critical mass consciousness needed to heal our planet.

There is so much truth in the bumper sticker that reads, “Thought are things, think peace” — and things can’t help but get better.

In the story of the prodigal son in the Bible, the younger son goes away using money his father has given him. He squanders the money and works as a slave for food and shelter.

One day he thinks of his father’s servants who eat much better than he is eating now. He decides he will go home and ask his father’s forgiveness and see if his father will let him work to earn his keep.

He trudges home, and when his father sees him coming, he runs to the son and kisses him and plans a big feast to welcome his home. His brother comes home and is a little “ticked off” that his father is celebrating the son who strayed when he has never done anything for his hard-working son.

His father says, “Your brother has given up his foolish ways and come to his senses. Your brother was dead, and he is now alive again, was lost and now is found.” (Luke 15)

In this case, at least for the younger brother, things indeed got better.

Think of a family member or friend who may have lost their way, or stormed away mad, perhaps for a few years. So often when they return, having learned from their experiences, it is a cause for rejoicing.

That does not mean we should try to ignore things that are not going as we would like them to, but we should not dwell upon them. If we keep concentrating on how everything is going wrong, we are much more likely to get what we give our attention to.