Often we are our own worst enemy. We resist painful realities or avoid difficult situations; or we become overwhelmed by taking on too much. Pain is a normal part of life, but the extent of our suffering is largely governed by attitude. We do not have to resign ourselves to being helpless victims, always defending against possible dangers. One way of managing personal challenges is to look at life as a game of strategy and timing, like chess or the game of ‘Go.’ Of course, our lives aren’t games that we can ever really lose — at least not as long as we keep improving. But it can be hard to grow while managing our responsibilities, as well as unexpected occurrences that could knock us over!
Awareness of synchronicity can help tremendously. This is a higher awareness of timing, a stronger sense of being in the flow of life and essentially trusting life’s process of evolution. The happy result of this approach is the realization of a “synchronistic lifestyle.” Below are some benefits that describe a synchronistic lifestyle, wherein we learn to make better decisions and ride the waves of change rather than flounder.
Creativity
Inspiration is the mental connection between a receptive intuitive sense and an idea ready to be adopted by someone who can appreciate it enough to do something with it. Stress and distractions block receptivity to creative inspiration, but our brains are hard-wired to seek solutions to problems. The best approach, however, is a calm mind and a quiet heart. How can you follow inspiration if you’re on high alert? There are mindfulness exercises to “calm” the mind (see the book Great Decisions, Perfect Timing). Sometimes it’s enough to just remember what you enjoy or find meaning in, acknowledging the importance of your creative side.
Develop Confidence in Your Own Intuition
Once you have identified the meaningfulness of what you enjoy, celebrate your competence! You are much more capable than you generally give yourself credit for. Believe in your inner strengths—and assert your desires. We can quickly feel overwhelmed if we never say “no” to co-workers, friends, and even strangers. Being assertive while doing what you are good at will make you more visible to key people. The exercise of confidence reduces stress levels over time.
Wisdom and Contentment
Think of contentment as a “ripened state of happiness.” Based on an unconditional acceptance of reality, contentment arises from conscious feelings of gratitude and compassion — for yourself and all beings. Cultivate contentment by appreciating all the ways that things in your life are going right. Contentment usually arrives after you have had time to digest insights and unlock their meaning. That’s when you have achieved some wisdom, the culmination of learning from experience. Wisdom helps us balance our needs with the greater good. As Aristotle put it long ago, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
You will feel less stressed just by knowing what is possible. If you cultivate the synchronistic lifestyle, you will have more access to creative powers that influence life’s ebbs and flows and your reactions. The more you trust your intuition and take the risks that grow you, the more accurate and trustworthy your intuition will become. Your understanding of people and human nature will dramatically improve. You will learn that the more you trust yourself — and the Universe — the more confident and happy you automatically will become.
