by Linda-Ann Stewart

From time to time, everyone’s had a small pebble in their shoe that they’ve tried to ignore. Very soon, that tiny stone grows to feel like a boulder, going from uncomfortable to painful. If it isn’t shaken out, it could possibly cause a blister or cut into the skin. Not properly tended, eventually it could become infected, then gangrenous and a person could lose their foot.

This may be an extreme example of that common occurrence, but it symbolizes what can happen when you ignore some irritation in your life. This is different from spiritually denying a situation, then affirming its opposite. In that case, you’re recognizing what’s there, but focusing on the solution. Ignoring a condition actually means that you know it’s there, but you don’t want to deal with it and hope it’ll go away on its own. Wearing blinders doesn’t make a problem disappear.

Your refusal to acknowledge that something is wrong simply gives it more energy. Keep pushing the issue away, and you expend vast amounts of mental energy that could go into healing it. Procrastination, concern, and suppressed worry feed it. Whether it’s a physical symptom, trying to tell you that you need to attend to your health, or a situation in a relationship that festers, the problem will gather intensity until it’s so big that you have to notice it. A molehill of frustration can grow into a mountain of trouble.

Many times, people will only acknowledge a condition when it gets too significant to deny any longer. Occasionally, they don’t recognize it until it takes over their lives and they’re forced to make decisions. But by that time, their options are severely limited. It’s like a stone rolling down a hill. That stone, if not stopped near the top, will gather momentum until it slams something farther down the hill, resulting in catastrophe.

What a problem requires is to be quickly identified and addressed. That takes the energy away from the issue and puts it in your hands. You now have choices, where you didn’t before. It’s like a child tugging at the leg of their parent’s pants. The child won’t go away until they get their parent’s attention. Once the difficulty has your attention, you can contend with it and find solutions. But until you recognize its reality, you can’t even look for an answer.

Instead of allowing the situation to continue to lurk in the shadows, you need to spotlight it. Give the issue the attention it’s asking for. The problem’s insistence is coming from no place but deep inside you. You set it in motion by not addressing it earlier. The condition is only doing what your subconscious thinks you want.

Denial of the irritation gives it more power. You’ve been blocking the flow of Universal energy by ignoring it. Acceptance of it reclaims that power, clears the channel to the Universe, and gives you the resources to handle the problem. Generally, the message is that some change is needed. Now that you have choices, you can change direction, responses, lifestyle, or accept yourself more. Take the concern from the shadows, pull it into the light, and then use your resources to transform it into a solution.

Affirmation:

I know there is a Presence and Power that flows through me. Where there is a problem, the Presence of Good is also there. I now acknowledge the difficulties that I have ignored, and am Divinely Guided as to how to handle them. As I recognize the challenge, Universal energy reveals the solution to me.

copyright 2007 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

self-improvement