HURRICANE KATRINA/RITA –
LEARNING OPPORTUNITY THIRTEEN:

CREATE YOUR OWN OPPORTUNITIES

There is no limit to number of the OPPORTUNITIES that you are given each day to learn things about yourself that are important for you to know in order to move beyond your fears – beyond your anger, jealousy, judgments of yourself and others, need to over-eat, smoke, shop, gossip, watch pornography, and other ways you find yourself out of control.  You can use each of these painful experiences, like the experiences of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, to change yourself from someone who reacts automatically to his/her circumstances without thinking (and creates consequences that are difficult) to someone who responds consciously (and creates consequences you want to live with).

Notice the next time you find yourself reacting automatically (for example, shouting when you become angry or withdrawing emotionally when you become jealous) and while you feel the impulse , however strong it may be, consider that you have the OPPORTUNITY to respond differently.  Then experiment with responding differently (for example, not speaking instead of shouting or staying present instead of withdrawing).  This takes a lot of courage.  It is the spiritual path.

Make a list of the first thirteen OPPORTUNITIES ( click here to see/print them ) and then use them as appropriate.  Each time you do, think about how else and what else you can learn about yourself that will make you more aware, sensitive, and kind.  With practice, you will find yourself looking for OPPORTUNITIES all the time.

Email this page to a friend.

Email us what you have learned from this Learning Opportunity so that we can share it on the web.

Read what others have learned.

Click here to see previous OPPORTUNITIES (it is never too late to learn from an OPPORTUNITY).

With love,

HURRICANE KATRINA/RITA –
LEARNING OPPORTUNITY THIRTEEN: CREATE YOUR OWN OPPORTUNITIES