UNIVERSE WITHIN by Gwen Randall-Young

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. – Max Ehrmann

Sometimes, things happen in life and we become frustrated because life isn’t going the way we want it to. At other times, more serious life events may occur and we wonder, “Why me?” At times like that, we may lose faith, become discouraged and decide it is a cruel world after all.

This, of course, is the perspective of ego. Ego has it all figured out. It knows the way it wants things to be and how they should be. Ego is happy if things go according to its plan, for then there is some sense of being in control. Ego is not interested in any larger plan or an unfolding or co-created destiny. Nope; it’s ego’s way or there’s gonna be trouble!

The problem with this plan is that the world and people are unpredictable. There is so much over which we have little, if any, control. Further, ego’s frustration may come from the fact that while it thinks it is running the show, there is an aeons-old plan created by soul, in concert with other souls that is running on autopilot. In terms of our soul’s journey, this plan serves our highest good, but ego has a hard time with that.

How could a setback in life be in one’s highest good? At the time of crisis, ego recoils in pain and resistance. It may be years before it sees that had it not been for the divorce or lay-off at work, it would never have been in the good place it is now.

Life crises and changes may be the catalysts that move us forward in our growth and evolution. We can think of them like the contractions of labour, pushing us out to a broader level of awareness and understanding. If we do not see this movement, then we simply experience the pain and see no purpose to it.

Some may spend an entire lifetime reacting to life, instead of integrating the experiences, both joyful and painful. Life is an interactive experience, but ego does not want the “other player” to have any turns, unless they are favourable to ego. Ego resists what is, sees little beyond itself and sure enough, life is a struggle.

There is a better alternative. When we identify more with our souls, we transcend the dramas of ego. Yes, the same things may happen, but we respond differently. Soul knows the wisdom of surrender. It knows there is no point in resisting what is and understands that what is may be exactly what is supposed to be. Our observer soul may proceed with almost wide-eyed wonder, ready to embrace the next experience.

How can we embrace difficult experiences? When we have embraced life itself and chosen to be fully conscious, we know that everything that happens is a part of life. We accept that there will be joy/sorrow, pain/pleasure, happiness/disappointment and birth/death. We cannot just pick out the parts we want and leave the rest.

Struggle comes not so much from what happens to us, but rather from our reaction to it. It makes little sense to get into a power struggle with the universe. When we do, we are like two-year-olds who keep trying to get into that locked closet because they want what is in there. We can scream and yell, have a tantrum, even kick the door, but it will not open because that is not where we are supposed to be.

When we choose surrender and acceptance, we can become much more relaxed and peaceful. We do not need to maintain constant vigilance or try to control everything. Instead, we can stay in the present moment enjoying it fully. We know difficult times may come and we will deal with them when they do.

For now, we can just be.

Listen to Gwen Randall-Young on Drishti Point, Vancouver’s yoga radio talk show, on Monday August 11 from 5-6pm on CFRO 102.7FM. Visit www.drishtipoint.ca for more info.

Gwen Randall-Young is a psychotherapist in private practice and author of Growing Into Soul: The Next Step in Human Evolution. For articles and information about her books and “Deep Powerful Change” personal growth/hypnosis CDs, visit www.gwen.ca