Each morning we rise, gather our thoughts, and prepare for the day ahead. We shower, select our clothes and head off to the breakfast table for the nourishment that we need to start our day. We search for ways to shake off the sleep that clouds our eyes…it could be the morning newspaper, or just a casual conversation with a loved one. What we truly are going through is the preparation for what awaits us outside the front door. Upon opening that front door, at any given moment we can be bombarded with positive or negative forces….so each morning we start to select the armor that we need to fight the battles of the day.

We live in a world of all different kinds of people, with each one choosing how to look at a given opportunity or problem. Recently I had an interesting conversation with a friend where she told me a story that troubled her. She was waiting at the bus-stop on her way to work. It was a rainy day so there were about three or four people in front of her in line. As the bus stopped to let passengers on my friend wanted to board the bus as quickly as possible so she wouldn’t get wet. Suddenly the busdriver said to her “Stay out there on the curb”. My friend replied “Could you please let us on the bus so we can get out of the rain?” The busdriver answered “I don’t really care if you get wet…that’s not my problem.” In the busdriver’s mind he had his own system for how people should board and exit his bus. The passengers waiting to get on the bus had no idea what was going on. After a little commotion all safely boarded the bus. My friend could not shake the thoughts of how she had been treated by the busdriver. I met her shortly before she entered her place of employment, and she said to me “This has just about ruined my whole day.” She was shaking with anger. Upon hearing the story I replied “Every morning each one of us go about our day…the chances of everything going according to plan every time is close to impossible. To expect it is not being realistic.” All of a sudden a look of relief came over her face…her expectation and the pressure she had put on herself had been lowered. She said to me “Thanks for listening…I guess I may have blown things out of proportion.”…and I replied “Don’t we all?”

Most of us wear all kinds of armor everyday to deflect the arrows that are shot at us. There is tremendous strength in having the right outlook and protection against the forces that try to hurt us. Yet sometimes because of how we react to things the forces can be internal. There are many things we don’t have any control over….but our outlook and determination to fight on, that we do have a say in. Deflecting those arrows that seem to strike at the worst moments is one of the keys to finding inner peace and happiness. It’s so important that we find and maintain the love and compassion within us, which really can give us the strongest armor of all. That is why in life you can never have too much Love and too much Tranquility. It may come from prayer, a loved one, or a close friend. Wherever the source, breathe it in our bodies and souls cannot get enough.

Take the time to love, fellow warriors,

Jennifer Avalon
© 1998 Jennifer Avalon