Gentle Spirit, Humble Warrior
How often do things go exactly as you planned? And when things go a bit awry, how often does it knock you off kilter? It happens to me more often than I’d like. I set out do so something, expect a certain outcome, another takes place and I can get frustrated, hurt, annoyed or even angry. It can be upsetting when things don’t go our way. Especially when we have tried so hard and put in so much effort. I’m starting to slowly realize no matter how hard I try, I have no control over any outcome. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose and the only thing that really matters is that we do our loving best in any given situation.
Our loving best? Yes. Do everything in love (1 Corinthians 16:14, New International Version). Put forth your best effort in all that you do in a loving, non-forceful way and be satisfied with having done your best, letting go of any expected or desired outcome. We live in a world with other forces at play and the free will of others we have no control over. All that matters is that we do our best and do it lovingly, gently and patiently. If things turn out in our favor, wonderful. We can express gratitude for a happy outcome. If things go wrong and we don’t get the outcome we were looking for, we can be grateful we tried our best and tried with love, gentleness and patience.
Put forth your best effort in all that you do in a loving, non-forceful way and be satisfied with having done your best, letting go of any expected or desired outcome.
As I get older I can see the advantages of acting in love vs. forcing an outcome I may or may not get. Acting in love is freeing and comes with a sense of peace. Forcing feels constricting, rigid and doesn’t let peace flow freely. Maybe I get the outcome I desired but at what cost? A few fleeting moments of happiness until I quickly move on to the next thing I feel like I need to accomplish/obtain and the cycle begins again leaving me drained and tense.
Instead of soldiering on forcefully, we can be gentle spirits and humble warriors. The way of gentleness and humility will not only have a positive impact on ourselves but also those around us. We can fight our necessary battles within an atmosphere of peace and love rather than being an anxious and forceful presence that is likely stirring up the emotions of those around us.
How do we do this? With practice. And when we fail, we keep practicing. I’m not perfect at this. I’m still learning. When I catch myself forcing, I try to remind myself to slow down, move gently, think gently, breathe gently. I’m always happier moving from a loving and gentle place rather than from a place of force. Practice the way of the humble warrior with me here on YouTube and take the attitude of a humble warrior with you through the rest of your day.
♡,
Kristen
