06.08.22

“Nothing is so conducive to spiritual growth as this capacity for logical and accurate analysis of everything that happens to us.”

- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (3.11)

Question Everything. Sometimes we can find ourselves lost because we are not asking the right questions or the right person. Ask yourself the questions for the answers you truly seek and be compassionate with the response. If you want to grow, you need to constantly be learning and seeking the truth; much of which can be triggering, disorienting, and life-shattering. You have to ponder some of the hardest questions, by asking yourself and waiting for the answer. 

In every moment, seek a learning opportunity. How many times have you been stuck in traffic and after complaining about how long it took to get through, you saw a horrific accident? Yet, have you stopped to express gratitude for the fact that your safety went unchallenged? Take a moment to exercise patience and gratitude as any delay may actually be saving your life. 

This quote from Marcus Aurelius reminds us to question everything, even our own thoughts, and emotions. True spiritual growth is on the other side of understanding your impulses and reactions. If you want to stop harboring anger, you need to ask yourself: Why am I angry? Until you get to the root of your issue. You may think it was the car cutting you off in traffic, but really it is the projection of your scared inner child alerting you to a possible infringement of your safety. In these moments of quiet self-analysis, we can begin to grow from the lessons learned.