Pema Chodron is a beloved Buddhist nun who spent years as a teacher at Gampo Abbey, a monastery in Nova Scotia. One of her most famous books, When Things Fall Apart, is a guide designed to help people navigate challenging times.
Talk about challenging times: a global pandemic, worldwide social unrest, economic instability and political craziness all at the same time. 2020 may go down as one of the most challenging times in modern history.
Thank heaven for Pema Chodron. In her usual calm, measured and wise way, she suggests that life is about being comfortable with uncertainty. We humans prefer to stand on solid ground… and yet so often the universe has other ideas. Like it or not, getting comfortable when the earth starts shifting beneath our shoes is the only smart way to go.
Pema also says that nothing ever goes away before it’s taught us what we need to know. So what is this global pandemic teaching you? The list may be short or long; the important thing is that you ponder the question every now and then.
And finally, perhaps the best advice of all when things appear to be falling apart: “We can make ourselves miserable, or we can make ourselves strong. The amount of effort is the same.”
18 words that could change your life. Really.
