Being Human is a Guest House

Today, let’s explore together what it means to live a state of gratitude with all that enters our lives.

Irrespective of our race, ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, what we do for a living, or how much money we have in the bank, we are all attempting to navigate this sometimes-incomprehensible journey that we call life.

The journey is not always easy and the navigation can take great courage and strength.

There is a beautiful poem penned by Jalaluddin Rumi who was a 13th century Persian poet, an Islamic dervish, and a Sufi mystic. The poem is called The Guest House:

This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they are a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice. meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes. because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.

It is easy to be grateful for the things that happen in our lives that we experience as “good”. But welcoming, honoring, and being thankful for those things that we experience as “bad or tough” seems like a pretty tall order, doesn’t it? Typically, when we are in the middle of our challenges we aren’t feeling very grateful.

Ten years ago, though outwardly I was successful and happy, I reached what felt to me like my breaking point. I had confused the story of my life with being my actual life. One evening when I was in the depths of this sadness I did something I had never done before. I knew nobody was watching and I let go and cried it all out.

I cried out my frustration, my feelings of powerlessness, and my anger. I cried out my loneliness, my confusion, and my feelings of uncertainty. I cried out my entire story.

As I was going through this something magical happened.

In that moment, I had what I can only describe as an out of body experience. I could see myself from above, lying on my bed in agony and sobbing. I felt such compassion in my heart for myself and what I was going through. Some new thoughts arose in my consciousness and I heard my own still, small voice say: “Thank you for giving me this story.”

I somehow knew in that moment that everything was going to be okay. I saw, for the first time, my story for what it was…an opportunity for me to grow and to use my experiences to empower and encourage others.

I also felt a deep sense of gratitude for what was happening to me. I didn’t feel it after I recovered from this breakdown. I felt it WHILE I was having this breakdown.

The experience transformed me.

That moment of gratitude, during what felt like a dark night of the soul, allowed me to connect with the bigger picture of my life.

Today I am grateful for all the beauty that graces my life and I am also able to express gratitude for the challenges that come my way.

Here is something interesting to think about…What if we knew that Oprah Winfrey built her empire without a single obstacle along the way! Would we be that interested in what she had accomplished if that was the case? Would we be inspired by her? Maybe, but probably not!

Oprah inspires us because she shares with us how she overcame what could have tripped her up on her journey. She came from a very humble upbringing where black women didn’t dare to dream as big as she did. She was told that she would never succeed in television. She was told that her name was too weird to be in the public sphere. She ran into all kinds of obstacles along the way, and because she faced each obstacle, one by one, with an open heart, she became who she is today.

In closing, let me ask you, are you struggling with what is showing up in your life?

If you answered yes, then I want to invite you to try feeling gratitude for whatever it is you are going through. This doesn’t mean you can’t acknowledge that things are tough. In fact, it is healthy to do so. It simply means that you attempt to see the situation from above the bed you are sobbing on, from beyond your agony.

You see, as Rumi so beautifully showed us, our lesson is not so much what we learn from our guests. The lesson is in being able to invite in the guests that show up no matter who they are, to welcome them with open arms, to honor them, and to love them while they are visiting, even if they tear your whole darn house down.

The tough times may just be clearing you out for some new delight!

How cool is that?

If you would like someone to champion your efforts around