The perfect teacher is what’s happening right now! Just today, as some unexpected news came into my inbox, right in that moment, I felt agitated and annoyed. What’s happening right now is the perfect teacher? That’s often very hard to accept..let alone be open to learning and changing!
Those of you on a journey of personal growth have probably heard the saying, “Everything is perfect right now, just as it is.” And then there is, “Right now is all we have.” Well, that can be pretty hard to stomach at times when what’s happening right now hurts me, or those I care about; when it’s embarrassing or humiliating; when I have judgements about it; when I wish it were different!
Let’s explore this a bit more deeply. Years ago, a motivational speaker was giving her sermon at a Unity church service. At some point, Edwene said, “Yes, indeed, everything is perfect right now, AND you need a project.” Well, that was an interesting twist I hadn’t heard, and it opened new doors for me. When I remember to bring this fullness to challenging moments, I actually do have a chance of seeing the Now Moment as the perfect teacher, of overcoming some challenges.
Living fully in the moment gets a lot of good press in spiritual, and even secular circles. Be Here Now, Ram Dass’s famous book is just one of many illustrious teachers who build on this inspirational quote. Right now is all we have. The past and the future don’t exist. OK, OK. But how do we allow or invite these moments to be our teacher? What the %$#@& does that really mean? That’s the project!
Here’s an example. One of my stuck places, a very old pattern, is that I often wish things were different: I resist, instead of acknowledging and accepting what is. (It’s really important that accepting does not mean condoning. More on this later.) Something challenging happens, an election outcome, a friend becomes ill, a flight for a family vacation gets cancelled…fill in your own examples. If we resist what is, wish it were different, the startling truth is that we create suffering for ourselves, we struggle, whine, groan, can even make ourselves sick. The way out is to learn to say Yes, OK, this is what is. And that’s the learning, the lesson, the life transformation. Right in the messy, sticky moment of resistance is the opportunity. The perfect teacher is right now!
Saying Yes Is SImple Not Easy, but it is possible. If I can say A Resounding Yes to Life, I’m creating a success story. Instead of falling into complaining, feeling like a victim or worse, If I remember that there are gifts of learning possible in every challenging, scary or frustrating moment, this shift if attitude helps me get curious, keep an open mind, look for the potential life transformations. The big question is whether I am ready to learn the lesson, to be open to what the universe could be telling me? A growth mindset helps, that’s for sure!
A DailyOm inspired this for me. Your Perfect Teacher: “All the situations in our lives, from the insignificant to the major, teach us exactly what we need to be learning.” Is it Patience? Is it flexibility? Acceptance? Is it joy or awe?
What is your perfect teacher teaching you right now? I’d love to hear how this landed with you, and what your experiences are of right now! We are in this together.
Jill Schroder is the author of BECOMING: Journeying Toward Authenticity. BECOMING is an invitation for self-reflection, and to mine our memorable moments for insights, meaning, and growth. Check the website for a sample chapter, or see the reviews to get a flavor for the volume. Your feedback, forwards, tweets, likes are most welcome. 🙂
