Life flows easily when we are enjoying ourselves but when anxiety, fear or anger seeps in, everything changes.  Our perceptions may become clouded by overwhelming emotions that hinder our ability to see anything positive.  If life is a river, there would be some sections where the water is serene and smoothly flowing and others where it rages and cascades down like a waterfall.  The torrents might represent the troubling times in our lives – times that we would happily forgo but are nonetheless significant pieces of our life stories.  In these times, virtues are seldom clear.  We need to ride through the rapids and return to calm waters before we can see clearly once again.

You may be familiar with the phrase “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”.  This suggest courage and commitment to complete the task at hand.  Persevering to reach self-imposed goals brings its own rewards along with important life lessons.  It is these lessons that become virtues.  Overcoming life’s challenges involves astute awareness and conscious choice, responding mindfully in a way that best serves you and the greater good.  From here you can emerge sooner and in a healthier emotional state.  With every challenge, there is the seed of something greater and more expansive awaiting discovery.  Staying positive and curious in the process is vital to experiencing the emerging goodness.

Love and optimism are powerful antidotes to life’s stressors.  Positive energy evokes positive experiences with surprising rewards.  Believe in the richness of life’s moments and yield to the flow of your river’s currents.  Have faith that each surge and waterfall has a purpose just as much as the serene and gently flowing parts do.  They all contribute to our natural evolution and fullest expression of ourselves.  We have nothing to lose and everything to gain by holding an open heart and positive mindset while surrendering to the flow of life.  As long as we keep the sun in view, virtues and abundance  will always be in our horizon.