Lean Into It

Lean Into It

“In life, we think that the point is to pass the test or

overcome the problem. The real truth is that things

don’t really get solved. They come together for a time,

then they fall back apart. Then they come together

again and fall apart again. It’s just like that.

Personal discovery and growth come from letting

there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief,

for relief, for misery, for joy.

Suffering comes from wishing things were different.

Misery is self inflicted, when we are expecting the

“ideal” to overcome the “actual,” or needing things

(or people, or places) to be different for us so we can

then be happy.

Let the hard things in life break you. Let them effect you.

Let them change you. Let these hard moments inform

you. Let this pain be your teacher. The experiences of

your life are trying to tell you something about yourself.

Don’t cop out on that. Don’t run away and hide

under your covers. Lean into it.

What is the lesson in this wind? What is this storm trying to

tell you? What will you learn if you face it with

courage? With full honesty and—lean into it.”

-Pema Chodron