The Trials of Life

The burden of life often presses hard upon us, destroying the harmony and peace of our minds and consciousness, bringing anxiety, worry, and sometimes despair.

These trials, although difficult to bear, are often necessary for us, since in our desire for greater things in life we cause an inner reaction to be brought into effect. The trial seems like a setback, yet it really is an opportunity to learn an important lesson and remove an obstacle to our desired attainment. It is often necessary to remove these obstacles, attitudes of mind, and ways of living in order to pave the way for greater progress, thus enabling us to attain our visualized ideals.

However, we so often blame other people for our difficulties and problems that we fail to realize that our personal Karma is teaching us a valuable lesson needed at this time. If we can see beyond the frustration, we will see the wisdom of the Cosmic working in our behalf even though we may be somewhat wounded.

We therefore provoke our own problems by our desires for improvement. Yet our negative thoughts make the lesson more difficult to bear, and if we would allow our consciousness to become attuned within, permitting the inner self to express itself, we would more clearly see the wisdom within our daily trials.

Life demands that we grow in every way: mentally, psychically, and spiritually. We must develop our full potential as human beings so as to use these gifts for the benefit of ourselves and others. There is a perfect ideal for man to reach in life, and the Cosmic directs, guides, and urges us along the path to attain this ideal. Life is a school, and we are all pupils undergoing training and a purposeful discipline in it. No experience in our lives is insignificant. Each change and experience always has a purpose in molding our character and bringing forward various latent aspects of our personality.

Within the Divine Consciousness is held the perfect pattern of that to which we should evolve. Each experience and each change we pass through is part of the Cosmic’s plan to lead and guide us toward that perfect pattern. Like the rose in full bloom whose each and every petal must unfold, every one of our faculties and abilities must be developed.

Life, which can be so beautiful, is often a burden difficult to bear because our thoughts are turning on a spiral of self-interest. We think of our own needs, our own feelings, and our own desires. Such thoughts bring little, if any, comfort. Yet when we turn our thoughts within, and express and our love for family and friends, we will find that our thoughts are suddenly uplifted and a new awareness has begun to awaken in our hearts and minds. We will no longer be so concerned about our own desires and our problems; rather we will find satisfaction in sending and thinking good thoughts about others.

The time has come for man to seek a new and better way of life, one that will bring real satisfaction and peace of mind. It has always been close at hand and readily available to all who would seek within. But only the few have chosen to travel this path to a greater realization of the meaning of life. The fascination with the pursuit of pleasure has been the tempter which has kept the masses of people from ever seeking that which is their natural birthright.

The realization of a greater and more significant meaning of life’s values is a refreshing change on the world scene. It reveals a growth of spiritual consciousness in the lives of increasing numbers of people who have come to see the fallacy and limitations of the pursuit of materialism. There is a growing realization that life’s great values must be more enduring than the empty satisfaction which the material life brings.

Once the trend becomes an accepted way of life, it will strongly influence the rest of humanity. Our interest in the mystical life can have an influence in the lives of others if we learn to radiate love, harmony, and peace of mind in our thinking. If we set a high standard for our own behaviour at all times, it will prove to be a great blessing to all those with whom we come in contact.

As we attune our thoughts each day with the divine consciousness within, we allow the spiritual forces to guide our lives and activities. A love of life grows and develops and we see our influence change the lives of others. Love, the law that makes all things possible, will allow to see our occasional trials as an aspect of the divine growth that is taking place within us. We will thus have the assurance that the Cosmic is always present, guiding and urging us to adjust to the present time.

- (extracted from the article The Trials of Life by Robert E. Daniels)