Lessons From Life

"The Lessons of Harry Potter"
As told by Lisa Peake

Laugh if you must, but the latest classic to be added to the bookshelf of history, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, held deeply meaningful lessons for me. At the time of this writing the book has only been published a grand total of four days, therefore I will refrain from giving away any of the essential plot details. What you read now is a glimpse of the proverbs and emotions still swimming in my heart after closing the flame colored hardcover.

Life is precious. I feel it keenly in this moment. Harry Potter is a mythology in which both old and young lives are exposed, risked, and ultimately taken. It is only through the experience of death that we discover how deeply we love life. While Rowling paints memories and precious moments with warm summer days and golden lighting, she captures much more than the picture perfect fantasies of a seventeen year-old. The ups and downs, the triumphs and failures are all there. We see these characters as we see ourselves, and through seeing them, we know our humanity more fully. In moments of extreme danger, courage and truth are revealed.

We cannot have everything we wish for. I have often overheard parents telling their four year-olds, "Life isn’t fair," with great conviction in their tone. Indeed, it is hard to understand life as being "fair" when we have far too little information to comprehend what fair would even taste like. One thing we know: we do not get everything we demand, no matter how deeply we long for it. The stories of Harry and his faithful friends reveal the realities of disappointment. But more importantly, we discover through Harry’s personal journey that the only way out of despair is through.

The process of grief is miraculous and mysterious. Over the past decade of reading these stories I have watched Harry pass through an adolescence riddled with grief, and in that time there have been profound losses in my own life. From small disappointments to dreams wrenched away from my loved ones and myself, these losses have taught me to love my grief as natural and unstoppable. There is something pure and untainted about grief, a swirl of emotions that penetrates everything like the rise and fall of Fawkes’ voice over the lake. I am grateful for grief because it is largely irrepressible, and we would all do well to spend more time in our hearts than heads.

I would like to think that Jo Rowling knew all this and much more. Just as Harry spent much of his youth wishing he could decipher the mind of his great teacher, I too have wondered precisely what Rowling knew that enriched her stories with this unmistakably personal wisdom. In the final pages of the final book, she nourishes us with simple truths:

What is meant to be will be. Whether we like it or not, what is eternal cannot be damaged by any form of magic. Our lives, our stories, our friendships, and most of all, our love continues on beyond the bounds of worldly bodies. Things that we see in our minds, our dreams, and the eyes of our worst enemies, all of these things, live inside of us as real. Take in a breath of fresh air with gratitude. We may not have broomsticks or wands, but here on heavenly earth, we have every opportunity to come of age.

For attractive lips , speak words of kindness...

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone...

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.

As you grow older,you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.

Reposted from Daily Om.

Hope In Hardship
Anything Can Be Overcome

The journey that each human being makes through earthly existence can have hardship as often as it is touched by joy. When we encounter adversity, the stress we feel can erode our optimism, eventually convincing us that the issues we face cannot be overcome. In truth, there is no situation so dire, no challenge so great, and no choice so bewildering that it cannot be overcome. Though we may believe that all avenues have been closed to us or that our most conscientious efforts will come to naught, we are never without feasible options. The best course of action may be veiled in doubt, but it is there. When we are honest with ourselves with regard to this simple fact, we can overcome anything because we will never stop looking for a solution to the challenges before us.

Self-trust coupled with a sturdy plan is the ultimate antidote to adversity’s tendency to inspire disillusionment in the human mind. As difficult as the obstacle plaguing you seems, it is no match for the love of a supportive universe that has been a part of your life since the day of your birth and will be with you forevermore. Try not to be misguided by your fear as this gives rise to the notion that there are problems without solutions. If you believe in your capabilities and dedicate yourself to the creation of some form of resolution, you will be surprised to discover that paths that were once closed to you miraculously open. Even if all you can do is change your perspective to turn an impediment into an opportunity to grow, you will have found the hope that is an inherent element of all hardship.

Remember that your destiny is a product of your own creation. Even when it seems you have nowhere left to turn, there is a solution waiting for you. The only insurmountable obstacles are the ones you create in your own mind—and these can only exert power over you if you let them. Uncertainty will always be a part of your existence, but perseverance and mindfulness will never fail to see you through to the other side of hardship where joy can thrive. Try and remember that no matter what life places at your feet, there is absolutely no situation that cannot be resolved with time, love, and friendship.

I am on my way now to go say a final goodbye to my beloved Sam, the first cat I ever picked out. Really I should say that he chose me. This wobbly little 4 week orange sherbet-colored kitten strode across the counter top of the veterinarian's office in Thousand Oaks. He bee-lined it for my arms, purring so loudly the whole room could hear him.

Sam is now 11 years old and his kidneys are failing. I'm told that's the most common reason older cats pass on. There's some comfort in that, knowing that his body is just doing it's natural thing. I also know some of the recent pet food recall bruhaha has been linked with kidney problems, too. For now, all I can think about is stroking his soft fluffy belly one last time.

Sam you are one big lump of love, and I will always keep you in my heart. I love you, Sam the Regal. Thank you for all the times your curled up to purr with me when I needed it. Thanks for leaping over furniture, hunting mice, and always taking the best spot by the fireplace. You will be missed. I don't know how I will start my mornings without you greeting me at the top of the stairs, looking like the little king that you are. Goodbye for now, I hope we meet again.

I stumbled upon these Ten Rules for Being Human by Cherie Carter-Scott and thought they are worth sharing. The bold is my own.

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's yours to keep for the entire period.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, "life."

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately "work."

4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning lessons does not end. There's no part of life that doesn't contain its lessons. If you're alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.

6. "There" is no better a place than "here." When your "there" has become a "here", you will simply obtain another "there" that will again look better than "here."

7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life's questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

10. You will forget all this.

Just a few days after my latest post "In Passing" this came to me from The Universe:

Talk about two ships silently passing in the night...

Even your own path crossing with a complete stranger, on a sidewalk, down the hall, or at Starbucks, on this holiest of adventures, amongst the billions now alive and the zillions who could have been, means so much more than most can even comprehend. Suffice it to say, however, that in such moments, these fellow adventurers are closer to you than a brother or a sister, no matter who they are.

You are the "King" of the world
- The Universe

When the universe starts introducing themes in my life, I pay attention. Daily I select at random a little paper card with a quality on it, like "Abundance", "Peace" or "Understanding". It's a precious way to remind myself to hold a positive focus in my heart throughout the day. I also watch for recurring lessons that appear in other forms. Sometimes a theme eeks in quietly, subtly, but with this recent note from The Universe it's coming in loud and clear. Ships passing in the night: the sacred intimacy of simply being human with my brothers and sisters.