Copyright © 2021 Lee Spirit

I was recently in British Columbia, Canada, which is in a state of emergency due to wildfires burning up the province. The smoke is thick, as you can see in the photo in Kaslo. Like many others at the “end” of the pandemic, many of us are just feeling the need to get away after 18 months of lockdowns and isolation. I made sure I didn’t over-exert myself as I normally would hiking in the mountains. So I stuck to the flat trails, the beaches, and went for several dips in the lake. Loving what is is so important for bringing peace to the circumstances we find ourselves in.

Even though smoke is hard on the throat and lungs, the scenery is still beautiful. You may see it as smoke, fog, or mist. Rather than getting upset about, or complaining about these conditions, letting things be just as they are is an important way that we can stay mindful. Learning to love what arises is a sure way to personal freedom and fulfilment.

If you’re looking for some great reads on loving whatever arises so that you can be happy and peaceful, I highly recommend Matt Kahn’s book, “Whatever Arises, Love That”, and Michael A. Singer’s book, “The Surrender Experiment”. See the References page for more details!

Loving What Is and the Pressure of Expectations

When we have resistance to what is, it creates a pressure that comes back to us with even greater force. But when we can breathe and relax into whatever is, we relieve this pressure. Sometimes we create expectations of how we want things to be, and when those expectations aren’t met, we feel disappointed. If we can remember ahead of time that life doesn’t always turn out like we plan, then we avoid disappointment. We can then just breathe, let go, and be with whatever arises without resistance, frustration, or painful emotions.

I love this quote: “Blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed!”

I was hoping to see a friend, but I knew it might not happen, and I consciously made myself okay with whatever the outcome. Since I know how to find my joy in life, and do the things that light me up, like exploring out in nature, I was not reactive or upset about a plan I may have had not working out.

Being Accepting of What Is In the Present Moment

One of my yoga instructors has been mentioning a quote in every class by Michael Brown from his book, “The Presence Process”. The quote is a great mantra to live by: “I am here now in this”. No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in in life, we’re here, and we can accept ourselves, where we are, and what’s happening. Acceptance does not mean we have to like it, or agree with it. It’s simply an acknowledgement of what is happening in the present moment. This allows us to free ourselves from the past, and to not worry about the future. If you don’t like what is in the present moment, and you want to manifest change, all you need to do is start where you are.

Loving What Is With Gratitude in Your Heart

It’s so easy to fall into patterns of negative thinking, complaining, or falling into a victim-mentality. “The smoke makes it impossible to see or do anything”; “It’s too hot to be outside”; “I am hurt that I didn’t see my friend”. But when we can fill our hearts with gratitude for everything that comes our way, no matter what it might be, we start to see the perfection in everything as it is. Sometimes the greatest gifts are presented to us in ways we don’t particularly like. It helps us to see the truth, and to learn and grow from there.

The more genuine gratitude you can feel in your heart, the better you feel about different circumstances arising or not arising in your life. It’s more than just saying, “I’m grateful for this food”. If you remember the movie, “City of Angels”, ask yourself, “How does the pear taste to you?” and really explore the taste and texture in your mouth. Gratitude is a vibration of positive, loving, joyful, grateful energy! Use it to love whatever arises!

Loving What Is By Accepting the Gift of Imperfection

Loving what arises includes realizing and accepting that none of us are perfect. We all have faults, things about ourselves that we don’t like, and mistakes we make. Each of these qualities makes us uniquely human. What you think of as a weakness may actually be a strength depending on the circumstance. You can also turn your greatest weakness into a strength! Learn to love yourself and all your imperfections! Loving what is, including all your beautiful flaws, will make life flow so much more smoothly!

Releasing What You Can’t Control

Loving what is is easier when you release the things you have no control over. How many times have you felt worried or stressed about losing your job this past year? It’s hard not to feel anxious in these times, but when you have no control over what happens, all you can do is surrender to the flow. As Alexa Sunshine Rose sings in her mantra tune, “I release control and surrender to the flow of love that will heal me”…This isn’t easy and you may need to practice letting go for some time before it becomes easier. Doing tasks that distract you from the worrisome outcome may help.

Loving What Is By Forgiving Yourself and Others

We can gather up a lot of internal angst when we haven’t forgiven others or ourselves. I often worry that I’ve said or done something that maybe I shouldn’t have, or was impatient and irritable with someone. We can ruminate about these things, and be our own worst enemy. Treat yourself and others with compassion, kindness, and forgiveness. This doesn’t mean you have to apologize for something. Just simply in your heart, do a little meditation of forgiveness, where you visualize approaching that person on a bench in nature – even if that person is you – and saying, “I forgive you”. Release, let go, and create peace and harmony within yourself and your relationships.

Recognize the Impermanence of Everything

Adopt the Buddhist philosophy of the impermanence of everything. If you hold onto the idea that you will live forever, your relationships will never end, or that your job or life circumstances will never change, you will be disappointed, stressed, or upset when things change. Change can be stressful, but our bodies, and perhaps our health will deteriorate with time. We transition from life to death. All things change, and when we can accept this, then loving what is is much easier.

Loving What Is With Self-Care

Taking care of ourselves is a crucial step in letting things be as they are. If we allow ourselves to fall into the trappings of the over-active mind, get stressed about how over-worked we are, and never take time for ourselves to recover, we are doing ourselves a disservice. We may be over-serving by trying to please others and fix everything, while neglecting our own needs.

Allow yourself some healing and recovery time by doing what makes you happy, like spending time in nature being mindful. This will help replenish your energy stores when things get a little crazy. You can let things be by accepting the busy nature of your life, while at the same time easing the stress of it all by treating yourself with the love, kindness, compassion. Give yourself the down-time that you deserve.

My hope is that you can now see how loving whatever arises in your life can help you on your path to mindful living. We all want peace and harmony, and we can do that by breathing deeply, and surrendering to what comes to us, even if it’s not seemingly ideal. Relax into those mistakes, mishaps, and uncomfortable situations. Accept what is. Let it be, let it be!

Lee Spirit is an avid outdoors adventurer with a love for nature, photography, health & fitness, wellness, and spirituality. She helps those who suffer from anxiety & negative thinking to become healthier in mind-body-spirit. Her own personal journey has led her to the  study and practice of mindfulness, health, wellness, yoga, spirituality, sound healing, meditation, and personal development for over 20 years. Get mindfulness, meditation, and personal development tips in her Free Natural Mind Healing Report!