Mostly Cloudy with Occasional Showers

The weather has been gloomy for several days now including a few days of rain. Despite global weather events, I feel fortunate to live in Southern California, where the climate is mild even at 5,500 feet. After a rainy weekend on the Westside, I’m back in the mountains, where it’s mostly cloudy with occasional showers.

Now three weeks into the new year, I am feeling fairly positive about my goals and dreams. I want to learn and grow more both personally and professionally. However, I’m also aware of life’s challenges. Some of my friends are facing difficulties like fighting disease, dealing with depression, handling injuries, or going through breakups — all part of life.

Buddha’s First Noble Truth teaches us that everyone experiences suffering. I can relate to times when I faced emotional and physical pain. In fact, for the most part of 2023, I was dealing with various degrees of depression myself. I’m glad to say those nagging dark voices have recently receded way back in my consciousness and are not bothering me on a daily basis like they were.

When the clouds are hanging over for an extended period, it’s tough to believe the sun will come out eventually. There might be rain, snow, or storms before the sun returns. Change is inevitable, for better or worse, and things keep evolving. Despite feeling like I’m not always giving my best effort, my 20+ years of practice have helped me through ups and downs. Learning to be present moment by moment is challenging but allows me to appreciate occasional showers and even storms, knowing each experience makes me stronger and wiser.