Life's Teachings

"Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know".
Pema Chodron

Have you ever wanted so badly for something or someone or some aspect of yourself to JUST GO AWAY!?  This is such a common experience and yet also common is the truth of what Buddhist teacher and author Pema Chodron shares above.  It seems we can never hate or will some aspect of our life to go away.  It is there for a reason.  There is something we need to learn from it.

Our counseling clients can often fight with this truth.  We sometimes fight with this truth!  However, for however long something or someone is showing up in our life, we can absolutely know that there is more to learn. More work to be done.

So often in a counseling session we will hear someone say "I thought I had worked this one out.  Why is it showing up again?" A financial challenge that keeps appearing, a particular type of challenging person that continually shows up, a personal quality within ourselves that keeps us limited.  Whatever the situation, it is better to surrender and lean into it to inquire what we need to learn.  This is a lifetime practice.  

We know that what we resist, persist.  We also know that from an evolutionary perspective, everything that shows up in our life is part of the path of growth.  When we open to this, real change can begin to happen.

For more about Pema Chodron's wonderful work visit

pemachodronfoundation.org