This moment, right now, could completely transform your life. I am going to share with you a secret that a 13th century poet and Arianna Huffington gave me a glimpse of. This secret altered the course of my life in an indescribably gorgeous and magical way. And it definitely can do the same for you as well.
You may not know it yet, but you have a winning hand in the game of life. The deck is stacked in your favor and the dealer is winking at you. On your team, are the best and the brightest, awaiting your direction. You are the house, and you always win. The universe is friendly to you, if you so choose.
Life can be rigged in your favor. But there's a small catch: You have to conduct yourself accordingly.
For much of my life, I felt like a small, solitary sailboat deep at sea, tossed about by the storms of life. I was battered by the continuous winds and rains, fighting just to stay afloat. Life was a struggle; a foe which never let up. I battled and trudged through; a confused spirit seeking desperately for a foundation of understanding on which to rest.
But, life did not permit me to rest. It perpetually had an obstacle waiting around the bend.
In the summer of 2014, changes were taking place in my mind. For many months, I had been digging deep into personal growth material. I had always been a soul searcher, roaming in pursuit of a greater understanding of life. However, now my soul was restless in a new and exciting way, as if an animal long caged could finally see a sliver of light, a chance of breaking free.
One morning, I wandered the internet, drifting from site to site. Eventually, I stumbled upon a short post written by Arianna Huffington titled "Six of My Favorite Quotes From Thrive."
Having great respect for Arianna as a person, my mind perked up and focused in to discover what it was about these six quotes that spoke to her. Perhaps I might find the secret to her success.
When I came to the second quote, my world froze, time stood still and the words inched off the computer screen towards me. My mind zoomed in on the quote by Rumi:
"Live life as if everything is rigged in your favor."
I was blown away. Something about Rumi's words touched the innermost chamber of my heart and stirred up within me a new understanding.
"If life is rigged in my favor," I pondered, "then that means everything happens for my benefit." As I thought this through I realized that this would mean that all suffering and difficulty I encountered was actually there to make me better, stronger and wiser. This would mean that the universe was my coach and life was my training. And although I could not always see the benefit while in the midst of suffering, I knew that it was exactly what I needed.
An impulse rose within me, a flame of desire burning and spreading, ignited by the spark of Rumi's words. I wanted to see if the universe really was rigged in my favor.
There was only one course of action I could see, and it was laid out before me like a singular path in a dense forest, beckoning to me as the only way forward: Conduct yourself as if life really is rigged in your favor.
With a focus as tight as a drum, I set about coloring my world in this way. I listened in on the pain that I often felt in my hip. Instead of ignoring it like before, I greeted it as exactly what I needed. And I soon realized the cause. Within days, the persistent, long-term ache was gone, never to return.
I recalled my years of being a smoker and how I had agonized over how to break free. When I finally did find a way out, I felt unstoppable. I knew that if I could quit smoking, I could do anything. All the pain and struggle had borne fruit in the form of a shade giving tree of confidence and persistence. It was a gift from my struggle.
It dawned on me that a rough and destructive relationship that I had weathered years before had equipped me with the tools to cultivate the beautiful relationship I now enjoyed.
Since reading Arianna's post with Rumi's quote, I have done my best to live my life in this way. My income has grown, my marriage has blossomed even further, I am healthier than ever and opportunities are arriving like never before.
The incredibly magical transformation that has taken place since leaves me in total amazement of the beauty of life. It is as if the universe is in my corner, setting up opportunities for me exactly when I need them.
Thank you Arianna. Thank you Rumi.
And I can see others who live this way as well. And we all know that anyone is welcome to join us.
Everything is here to benefit you. Every single event and experience, no matter how seemingly insignificant is backed by a friendly universe, guiding you down the speediest course to a better, happier and more complete life.
If something in your life is not yet okay, it simply means it is not yet over. And as you go through it, settle comfortably into a sense of gratitude, knowing that not only will the fires of your pain dissipate, but they will also burn away defilements and purify you, leaving a better you in its place.
Storm-battered souls, wherever you may be, know this: The game of life is rigged in your favor, as long as you conduct yourself accordingly.
Explore life with the author at CompletedThoughts.com and share in the gift of his gratitude at GoodMorningMyLove.com.
Follow Richard Kronick's Facebook for more updates and inspiration.
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