For hundreds of thousands of years, humans have lived on this planet. They have each struggled to exist, to survive, to have a good life - to live. And in this time throughout history, people have encountered various obstacles, difficulties, and struggles in life. These struggles are a natural part of human existence, a natural part of living in this world. There is no time in human history when there hasn't been some sort of difficulty, large or small, personal, or collective.
Difficulties always arise. But in addition to difficulties, there are always periods of personal joy, personal fulfillment, and personal expansion. Times when life seems very good. Times when you feel very connected to friends, family, and loved ones. Times when you feel your life is abundant. These are also natural human experiences.
And throughout history, people have had both difficult experiences and joyous experiences - times of struggle and strife, and times of peace and integration. Some people may ask why there are periods of struggle and strife. Why do obstacles and difficulties arise? Without them, how could you grow without both the personal and collective, obstacles, struggles, and strife? For each human being loves their life, wants to survive, and wants to do the maximum to fulfill their destiny and to find true happiness.
But in that search and effort to find happiness, many times the happiness of others can be stepped upon. The happiness of one can be at the expense of the happiness of others. And, for the happiness of one, another may suffer - living beings of all species may suffer.
And so, as society goes on and the disparity between those who are well off and see profit from the way the society is operating and those who suffer, be they in human form or other forms, becomes highly divided. There is bound to be some sort of circumstance that begins to level this off, begins to change the situation.
In today's world, many animals are highly exploited. There has been a degree of human exploitation of the planet that there are many species dying today, completely disappearing from this world. The world is out of balance and to bring that balance back there are forces in nature that adjust, which naturally bring harmony back to the natural world, back to all the living beings. And so, this is a time of adjustment.
It is one adjustment. Until human beings awaken to the harmony they have with all other living beings, rather than trying to put themselves above other beings and exploit others, when they begin to live in harmony and mutual love and respect with all beings, then the world will change.
So, in collective life as well as personal life, there are lessons to be learned from the trials and tribulations, and difficulties that arise. Those are nature's ways of teaching us, of showing us when we have gone too far down the wrong path, and allowing us to make adjustments, and corrections.
When people become very extroverted, trying always to find their happiness outside of themselves, then they may be very successful for a time and then hit a period where that success fails them. And you think why is this happening to this person? But, if you saw the entire scope of that person's life and many lives before, you might see that that person has come to a point in their evolution where what they've been doing, the way they have been approaching their life, is not working. Is not for their higher good, not promoting their true spirit to awaken and arise, not promoting their path home to their source.
And so, certain circumstances might arise to correct that path. When that happens then there is an opportunity in life to adjust, to make changes. And the same is true in collective life.
It provides an opportunity. So never be daunted by the difficulties that life presents individually or collectively. But, take them in stride as an opportunity to change, to grow, to expand, to go inward to know your innermost self, to become connected to the entirety of your being. Such are the ways that nature adjusts, and the laws of the universe are sustained. This is the path of dharma.
Maetreyii Ma Nolan, Ph.D. is an author of spiritual books, a teacher of mysticism and yoga, and a psychologist in private practice. She is also an expert in yoga philosophy. Dr. Nolan has a school for mystic yogic teachings called Ananda Gurukula. She has years of experience leading retreats, teaching yoga teacher trainings, yoga therapy trainings, and meditation trainings.
Through her own meditative practice and deep personal connection to Divine Source, she has gained profound insights and understanding that she shares in her writings, webinars, trainings, and personal guidance.