Everything happens for good

Renee Lehman

(6/2020) My acupuncture office was gradually reopening at the time that I wrote this article. My May article was entitled Everything Happens for a Reason. This month I want to continue the discussion about the Life Rules. These Life Rules are:

• There are no accidents.
• Everything happens for a reason.
• Everything happens for good.

In this June article, I want to present a deeper look into another of the Life Rules: Everything Happens for Good. Yet, before we dive into this rule, I want to summarize the article from May to give you a reminder of how Everything does Happens for a Reason.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the change of seasons is the continuous movement that we experience in the Natural world from Yin to Yang, and Yang to Yin. (The Yin – Yang symbol consists of a circle divided into two teardrop-shaped halves - one white and the other black. Within each half is contained a smaller circle of the opposite color. The smaller circles, nested within each half of the symbol, serve as a constant reminder of the interdependent nature of the black/white "opposites." One could not exist without the other, for each contains the essence of the other.) The change between Yin and Yang can be seen as night becomes day and day becomes night; and birth becomes death and death becomes birth (think of what happens with composting).

God, or the Universe wants you to have a wonderful life. There is a plan for your life. There is a purpose for your life. The problem is that God’s plan is not our plan for our life. If we had the life plan that we wanted, we would choose to have no unpleasantness at all! But there would be no Yin and Yang in that. There would be no natural, seasonal changes of the heart. Think about people that you know who were never told "no," and/or protected from every ‘bad’ thing in life. They can end up being selfish, shallow, cruel, have poor coping skills and be impossible to live with.

Your life purpose is hidden. It can be revealed by careful, thoughtful introspection. God has made everything beautiful in ITS time, not our time. Everything is appropriate and supportive for us. Even what appears to be a negative (Yin) can be a positive (Yang), as well. Our heart knows that we must experience both Yin and Yang. All we can SEE is the middle of God’s work. God knows the plan from beginning to end. God has you where you need to be to fulfill your purpose. There will be negative things that happen in life. Just trust that we cannot know all the answers to all the challenges and perplexities of life. There are things that we just will not understand. We cannot solve some of these mysteries and must have faith that it will all be for good.

There, I said it. Everything Happens for Good.

The COVID-19 pandemic is happening for a reason. There is bad (Yin) and good (Yang) associated with this illness. Given that in TCM the Yin/Yang symbol represents the balance of good/bad, day/night, male/female, etc. and given that many people view this virus as bad, there is something that I would like you to think about. Believe me, this is something that over the past 2-3 months I have been contemplating and processing, myself:

Are you able to see the Good that has been associated with this virus? How can you see the Good related with this virus?

First, it is important to remember that Everything Happens for a Reason.

The Reason is for good.

I know that you may want to go back to your ‘normal’ life, your pre-COVID-19 life. I know that there were many aspects of your life (relationships, experiences, etc.) in your pre-COVID-19 life that were good. However, the Natural world does not move backwards. Summer always follows Spring. Spring never says, "I am going to stay for around for 6 months." Also, we never go back to Winter after Spring. The Natural world is always changing and transforming into the next season, giving us opportunities to experience life differently in the new season. All for good, too!

Believe me when I say that I am not declaring that by looking at the positive outcomes from COVID-19 that you are to ignore the negative outcomes of the virus. (Remember that Yin and Yang both exist!) By seeing the good associated with this virus, a path is granted to you to assist you in moving forward in your life. Just like the Natural world moves forward, you can move forward.

How can you see the good and move forward? Go to your INNER-NET. No, this is not a misspelled word. I did not mean the Internet. I meant the Inner-net – going within your heart to ask questions like: Who means the most to you? What do you really want to do with your life? How do you want to live and be present in your life? We have been given the gift of looking at our lives and deciding what things are most important to us.

Ask yourself if there are any things that don't bring you joy/fulfillment anymore, or ways of being that don't serve you any longer? Is it time to let these certain things/ways of being go? If so, it is important to grieve your losses, and/or acknowledge how important these things/ways of being had been to you. Honor the ending of these activities/behaviors/beliefs/etc. that no long serve you.

So then, what are some of the POSITIVE take-aways from your personal COVID-19 experience? I believe that we have been given the opportunity to hit the reset button.

Have you ever had the following message appear on your computer screen: "Do you want to reopen all previous windows?" What are the "windows of your life" through which you see? Which ones do you want to reopen? Which ones do you want to leave closed as we move forward in life and move about more freely? You may even want to remodel and put in new windows! Don't rush back into exactly the same life. I believe that we have been given an opportunity to transform.

As we move forward and continue to transform our lives, remember that TCM has always been about prevention and maintaining health. We can continue to work together to keep our immune systems strong. The best way to "fight" the virus is to make our body an inhospitable host - to keep our immune system strong.

What can you do to strengthen your immune system? My teacher, Grand Master Nan Lu (an Oriental Medicine Doctor), has videos of different Qigong exercises available. I recommend that you watch them and incorporate them into your daily routine.

Also, Grand Master Nan Lu has daily talks/podcasts available at his website: www.grandmasternanlu.com. You must register (it is free and there is no other obligation) to gain access to these talks.

Remember that not every life lesson is about beauty. Life lessons are to support you in completing or achieving your life’s purpose. While your life experiences during this pandemic may seem difficult, can you view them as the Universe nudging you to see something greater? Can you see and stay focused on the good? You never know how this may change your life.

Renee Lehman is a licensed acupuncturist and physical therapist with over 30 years of health care experience. Her office is located at 249B York Street in Gettysburg. She can be reached at 717-752-5728.