Learning From the Lessons of Life

By Rev. Marilyn L. Redmond, BA. ABH. IBRT

I. have learnedthere are no mistakes in life. It was all planned before I came for myspiritual growth. This was a surprise to me that I wrote a script that includedmy parents, friends and situations I needed in this lifetime for my spiritualgrowth. Since I asked the people to play those parts, I could no longer blame themfor my problems in life. Their lives were difficult to play those parts for me

These lessons arecarefully determined with the help of my guides in spirit for my return foranother opportunity to align with the universe and resolve them in responding withloving solutions. Some people call this karma. It is necessary to release thenegativity of my past actions to bring balance into my life. The predicamentswere mainly from prior times that needed to be resolved so I could move forwardinto a higher consciousness. The past could no longer keep me stuck in the oldproblems. Only with resolving them can I grow beyond them. Learning to acceptthat reality and no longer be in denial is the lesson. This allows me to moveout of what felt like hell. I was ready to move up into grace and change myways and heart to bring peace into my life.

2. The challengesin life are to be met with loving solutions. I realized that reacting from fearand resistance to life challenges kept me in a state of being childish. Respondingin loving ways is adulthood. It can be called taking the high road. This keepsme in reality and promotes my maturity. I had to find kind ways to resolve theissues to move beyond and out of my old mind set. In finding caring responsesto the predicaments, I felt the old distressing feelings dissolve. It was innot resolving the situations in an appropriate way that kept me in and anguish.I had to allow life to happen and learn from the experiences.

3. Live in themoment that is why it is called The Present. As Idid not know I was not in reality, but reliving the past repeatedly, I found myhistory was repeating itself. Some call doing the same thing repeatedlyexpecting different results insanity. I did not know from my growing up youcould change your thinking to work for you. By my mental frame of mind stillreacting to past situations or worries about the future, I was not living inreality. Reality is right now not the past or the future. When I am in the"Now" which is listening to my instincts, then I am in reality.

4. For me learningto be open-minded and opening my heart is a challenge. Since I did not grow upin a functioning family, I did not have an open heart or an open mind. Keepingme safe was closing my heart down and not opening it as it would be hurt again.The opening of my heart to feel the good/God within has been a long process. Itwas extremely closed keeping me in survival. The many walls around my heartkept me out of goodness, reality, and enjoying life. Finally, my feelings areflowing more and I have experienced joy, finally. My old thinking was that ifthe people around me were happy, I could be too. This is a form ofco-dependency. Since they were depressed, they did not allow me to be happy. Ifound a quote by Abraham Lincoln that said, "Most people are about ashappy as they make up their minds to be." this gave me permission to behappy even if people around mw were not. I did not have to carry theirunhappiness. When I love myself, I can allow others to have their feelingswhatever they may be and that will not affect me. I am happy just beingme.   

6. Nothing outsidemyself can save me or give me peace. It is an inside job. My parents werementally ill and never mature themselves to love themselves. Finally, Idiscovered life is an inside job. I had to save myself. In changing my fearinto love and opening my heart, I found I did not need to be saved, I was bornin the love of my Creator and always was loved.. This brought a completely newinner security. I was looking for love in all the wrong places.  The feelings of abandonment left.

7. Safety is thecomplete relinquishment of attack. This was a difficult lesson for me as beingraised in domestic violence and having a marriage of domestic violence. I neverfelt safe. I always was defending myself trying to stay safe. After years ofgrowing into reality, I realized that my being emotionally defensive felt likean attack on my husband on a subconscious level and he retaliated in a physicalattack on me. It was a passive aggressive interaction. My unconsciousdefensiveness felt like an attack to him; it was not visible. He retaliated ina visible response. I had to move into feeling safe and pray for him."Father forgive him for he knows not what he does" We were both twolittle neglected and abused kids trying to make it in an adult world withoutany clue how to do it. Sending love stopped the game.

8. To heal is to behappy. Learning I could make me happy, I began to grow up and not act or reactfrom my old insecurity, abuse, or fear. Free from my past trauma, being in thepresent, and being aware of what presently was transpiring made me available tofeel happy. I had to release all my history to feel cheerful. The stress hadstopped my feeling happy. The more I relaxed, the easier it became toexperience those joyful feelings that I always wanted.

9. Love waits onwelcome, not on time. Learning to pray and be thankful for the good events,feelings, and my needs being met, allowed me to feel the love and goodness thatis my inheritance. I did not know in the past, that I could invite God into mylife and He was waiting for me to request his love to open in my heart. Knowingto be honest, open-minded, and willing to open my heart to feel the love was anew idea. He never left me; I just had not invited him in with gratitude andbeing thankful for all my blessings.

10. All forgivenessis a gift to yourself. I did not know the word forgiveness. That I couldforgive others was a new idea to me. The past can leave and not be a triggerfor unhappy feelings, guilt, shame, or fear. I did not have to walk in thatstupor anymore. I could allow it to leave for the light of God to replace thedarkness. Then I still had to forgive myself. That I wrote such a difficultscript for my spiritual growth was a difficult pill to swallow and accept. Ihave to accept each of the situations as my experience into maturity.I pray I am sorry, I forgive you, I thank you, and I loveyou, for those in my life and for myself.                                                                                

I asked those people to play the part necessary for me to mature past thechildlike past. They agreed to do it. They played their parts for me to findforgiveness, gratitude, and compassion for them that were helping me to growup. When a person gives up their life for another that is love. Those peopleloved me; I thought they had harmed me. Just as Shakespeare said, “All theworld’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. The steps to moveinto a new life are explained in detail in my book, "ParadigmBusters" at Amazon.             https://www.amazon.com/dp/1530940117#customerReviews

         MY LATEST BOOK, "A SPARK OF TRUTH" AT AMAZON

B0D264MYTW