Our Life’s Shelter

On By Zeenat Merchant Syal-Counseling Psychologist|Spiritual CounselorIn Mind, Heart& Soul-Motivation&Inspiration, Mind-Mental Health, Uncategorized

Our Life's ShelterIf at times you feel defeated, believe me, it will be a delusion, because no circumstances of man’s contriving can be stronger than a personality upheld by faith, trust and hope.~Unknown

All of us are constantly striving to find answers to many questions that keep arising in our minds. Life is too complicated and our life span too short, for all the mysteries to unfold themselves and provide us readily with all the answers that we seek, as we go along.

Eventually we have to make peace with our mind and settle down to Faith, Trust and Hope; in order to find the peace of mind badly needed by us to make our life happy and purposeful. A mixture of all these is the true essence of Our Life’s Shelter.

“If you have FAITH as much as a grain of mustard seed…Nothing is impossible.”

We go through life trying so hard to change, to fit in and be part of the family, the team, the neighborhood, we try so hard to be popular and lovable, we search out acceptance from the out side when in truth the only way we will ever truly feel whole is to search out and find the love and acceptance within ourselves.

We need to stop punishing ourselves with thoughts of self-doubt and start thinking more positively, for the truth is we are worthy of so much, it doesn’t matter what we look like or what sort of a background we come from we deserve to be loved and respected “at all times no matter what”,  not only by others but first and foremost by OURSELVES.

The more we learn to honor and respect ourselves and others, the more we learn to honor and respect our wonderful earth and all creatures upon it and have faith in our own divinity, the closer we come to spirituality and the brighter that spark of light within our souls will become.

Faith may well be the foundation of our life.

“Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first. Ask questions, then feel the answer. Learn to trust your heart.” ~Unknown

Trust has so many reasons. It is a feeling we develop but do not question, once we are convinced that we shall not be betrayed. Learning to trust your self means being honest with yourself about what you are truly feeling deep in your heart and soul about everything that you perceive on the outside and the inside.

Many of us have been so deeply hurt, that tour heart has become “crusted” over with heavy wounds that we are afraid to even go there. Well if that is where our inner wisdom lives and we are reluctant to go there then where does that leave us? Well it leaves us vulnerable, confused and liable to get ourself into a mess. So the first step in learning to trust yourself, i.e. your heart, is to begin the process of releasing it from underneath all of the pain and sorrow it is buried under. Just close your eyes, feel that wound deep within you, and let go. Do this whenever you feel the pain in your heart, from an old wound. Slowly, but steadily, you will start trusting yourself.

Trust will provide pillars and walls to the mansion of our life.

“A poor man with Hope lives better than rich man without it.”~Unknown

Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one’s life. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.

Hope can be passive in the sense of a wish, or as active as a plan or idea.  Consider a prisoner of war who never gives up hope for escape and, against the odds, plans and accomplishes this. By contrast, consider another prisoner who simply wishes or prays for freedom, but without genuine hope, or another who gives up all hope of freedom.

Hope reflects on the power and the strength of our Faith and Trust. We must never allow our faith to be shattered. Hope Provides the roof, doors and windows of Our Life’s Shelter.

It is the combined forces of Our Faith, Trust and Hope that will provide us with security and keep us afloat, in our moments of crisis and despair. It will motivate us to keep moving ahead in our lifes journey with grace, dignity and confidence.

How strong is your life’s shelter? Personally, what are the  essences that make a good life shelter? Please share in comments.

with love Zeenat

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Photo credit- h.koppdelaney’s photostream flickr

32 thoughts on “Our Life’s Shelter”

  1. Wow, Zeenat. This is truly beautiful and inspiring. I love the image of the heart as a place we must enter to find the answers. It’s almost like the truth is a rare gem, and our heart is the castle where it is kept, and in order to find it, we must defeat the guardians of fear and hurt who stand between us and the truth.

    1. HI Jay,
      So Glad you liked the image and actually took notice of something so delicate. Good eye 🙂 Isnt it a wonder how we can have the most precious gem right inside of us..and still be looking for it frantically elsewhere….
      A comliment from an awesome writer like yourself, for an ameteur like me…oh me blushing 🙂 Thank you. Your support means a lot.

  2. Hi Zeenat,

    What a beautiful post! I love the concept of a good life shelter. As for me, faith and hope are the fuel that always keeps me going. So I would say that my shelter is rooted in faith and hope. For me, trust is a part of faith. For faith is not only trust in a higher power but trust in oneself and one’s heart.

    It is funny, when I was younger, I hated my name. Here in America my first name is not that common. Eventually, I accepted it and learned that it means hope. The irony is that hope is what sustained me through my troubled past. Faith came a bit later and that just completed the circle for me.

    1. Hi Nadia,
      Thank you for the compliment on the post Nadia. All these three essences might come to each one of us in a different order, but the beauty of them all is, they do come to us. Our mind and heart need to be open enough to recognize them.
      I always thought your name was so exquisite 🙂 I know when we are young, and peers have a totally different picture of what regular is, you do tend to stand out.
      All three are indeed full circle!

    1. Hi Bunny,
      Hope is so so important, cause without it we would all be just existing rather than living isnt it. Hope is what ultimately creates passion in our lives. Hope is really and truly tomorrows dream.
      xoxo

  4. Wonderful post Zeenat. When I was younger I didn’t trust myself and the world around me. Gradually I learned that when we trust and surrender the Universe will take care of everything. Now when something doesn’t work out the way I wanted it to and I don’t understand why, I just let go right away and trust that this is for the best. I also trust myself and my feelings much more now. When we don’t supress our feelings and allow them to just be, even pain goes away much quicker.

    1. Hi Lana,
      Everything, especially trust in yourself takes time and experience. But, when you do just learn to let go and be the person you actually are…not what others want yout o be…you truly attain emotional freedom, thereby manifesting in trust in your own true self.
      Am glad you liked the post. Thank you for your wonderful comment 🙂

  6. Thanks for the beautiful post Zeenat. I truly believe that faith and trust most exist in everything that we do, be it relationship, spirituality, work, etc. Without those, it’s simply impossible to live in the present moment as we will be to occupied solving the missing puzzles.

    1. HI Karlil,
      Am so glad you liked this post 🙂 Its true…that without faith and trust and a bit of hope in all we do in life….life would be a big box of missing puzzles..and we would be wondering and wondering….and life would just pass us by.
      Thank you for your thoughtful comment 🙂

  7. Hi Zeenat!

    That picture is awesome – of course the post is too! I learned at a very early age to trust myself. I had to – for survival. Trusting others, not so much. That has been a learning process. Love is the center pole in my shelter, which at times is really like a circus tent with the activity level of the monkey mind! I keep focused on the center.

    1. Hi Suzen,
      You know…we do call this world survival of the fittest…it is indeed..but those with the fittest mind.
      I like it that LOVE is the center. Somehow it tends to engulf all faith trust and hope….doesnt it 🙂
      The picture just fit so perfectly…..am glad you liked it.

  8. Hey Zeenat! Thank you for visiting my blog and for the compliments on my photos. I would be honored to see my photos on your blog, thank you so much for asking first.

    This post is truly amazing and hits right in the heart for me. You wrote “we search out acceptance from the out side when in truth the only way we will ever truly feel whole is to search out and find the love and acceptance within ourselves.” There is so much truth in that statement. I often find myself changing with the wind, so to speak. I have in the past tried to fit in one area or another and all it brought me was heart ache and stress. I am who I am and I will attract people who like just that–so no more changing me.

    You also said “We need to stop punishing ourselves with thoughts of self-doubt and start thinking more positively, for the truth is we are worthy of so much…” Another area I’m working on is that of letting my mind dictate how I should feel about doing or not doing something others think I ought to do. I often spend time finding excuses why I didn’t make it to church on Sunday, for example. I know me and my faith are solid, why do I feel the need to practice an explanation to anyone?

    Thank you so much for this fantastic reminder. Great blog with great content!! Keep it up!

    My photo stream is in Flickr – http://www.flickr.com/photos/25708920@N04/

    Enjoy!

    1. HI Yira,
      Thank you so much for your lovely ad insightful comment. I am so glad that this post hit some strong points for you..and gave you some clarity.
      Thank you for all the compliments on the blog. I love your blog too. And thanks a bunch for the link to your flickr account.I will be using the pics and leave a link back to you and your blog.
      Lots of love and hugs.

  9. So many thoughts came to mind when I read your beautiful post, Zeenat. I don’t always trust myself, nor should I, I suppose, based on the ways I’ve allowed my crusted over heart to interpret past actions made against it. It grew weary as a young child, and thus began building walls around itself. I’m just now beginning to tear down the last of those walls, but my gosh, such a process! Such work! I didn’t realize just how protected my heart was… All done by my inner child, I suppose (which ties in nicely with Happy Lotus’s post on Sunday).
    I know now, today, reading your words and from what I had been told on my birthday Sunday that my inner child is ready to come out, and I can rest assured I won’t drop her. She’s safe, and I’m safe.
    Faith, trust and hope, indeed.
    Love to you, my good and beautiful friend!

    1. Hi mY Joyful Angel,
      It alwasy the past that builds all these walls and crusts….Our need is to let go and just be. Our inner child is always safe with us….no one else can love and take care of our inner child better than us. So trust yourself…and just let go of all inhibitions. In time..all will fall into place….Its a hard process agreed, but so so worth it. Youre always safe in your own hands…make these hands strong.
      Lots and lots of love to you too sweetie 🙂

  10. I too think that our heart is hurt and therefore went into hiding.
    It takes courage to come out of hiding despite the former attacks it had.
    For me the essence is to forgive, I do not think anybody actually attacked my heart on purpose.
    Believing that, helps me to forgive and forgiveness helps to let love come to the foreground again.
    Love Wilma

    1. HI Wilma,
      Courage indeed….a lot and a lot of courage to come out of those past wounds. BUt yes, once you can start truly trusting yourself…forgiveness and release just happen. 🙂
      Lots of love

  11. Hey Zeenat,

    First of all, you write in such elegant and artistic way that it just makes me feel…”
    flowy”…lol

    This post is very inspiring and yet truthful in many ways. Faith, trust and hope are all necessary ingredients for a happy and peaceful life.
    Without them love is impossible, connection cannot be establish, and worst of all life cannot be progressed.

    My biggest problem in life lie within the aspect of trust. Like some here have mentioned already, I had lots of troubles trusting myself and therefore my future.
    And like you said, there has traumatic and hurtful times that contributed to my inability to trust myself. Without the trust for myself, I felt as if I was at the bottom of the pit, not knowing where to go or what to do, because I feel like I’m going to fail.

    I eventually healed from my old wounds and became more mature with my thoughts, I let not my thoughts/past define how I feel and who I am. I learned that worth is something we all already have, and that we do not need to protect or preserve our personal image. I began to have hope and trust within myself, ultimately faith in my life.

    So thank Zeenat for writing this post, it is awesome and elegantly written, with expressive writing that hits the sweet spot.

    Oh also, thank you for your awesome feedback for my site, I’m glad I can make a happy you 🙂

    Steven

    1. Hi Steven,
      What a lovely comment. I felt like giving you a massive hug after reading it. Am so happy that you have finally healed form your past. Its such a lovely experience isnt it.
      Your words are filled with wisdom..and I am so glad youve started your blog. I enjoy you lovely comics…and the insight and creativity you share in them.
      Ohh.and thank you for the lovely lovely compliments on my writing..me like compliments 😉

  12. Such a great post, Zeenat!

    What speaks to me deeply in this is hope manifesting in an active plan, sometimes we just have to ‘take the bull by the horns” to make things happen.

    Yet, the other side of things, where we allow ourselves to accept what we are dealt and opening our heart, can bring peace too.

    Either way, the answer lies inside with our faith, hope and trust.

    1. Hi Jannie,
      I like the “take the bull by its horns” analogy. Really fits how we should be gunning for Hope.
      Kudos to Faith, trust and hope.
      Am glad you liked this post Jannie 🙂 I loved your comment so much.Thank you.

  13. Zeenat — This was a beautiful thoughtful post. As I was reading it, I kept thinking of faith, hope and trust as super hero figures for some strange reason:~)

    I loved how you used a “shelter” to weave together the strength of faith, trust and hope…how they work together to protect us.

    You always write with such a positive energy. My day is about to end and reading this post was a perfect way to stop working. Thank you.

    p.s. I am so glad you’re back and writing again:~)

    1. Hi Sara,
      I feel a post brewing about faith trust and hope in superhero outfits..really. Its an awesome concept 🙂
      I am glad you loved the post and that this post was able to bring some positivity in your day 🙂
      Am glad to be back and writing. Feels good to be back on among like minded friends.
      Lots of love

  14. Wow, Z. This is so beautiful!

    Thank you for sharing such inspiration, right from your heart!!! 😀

    I think my shelter is really strong. Sometimes, in the hard times, I feel like it’s weak, but in my heart, I know without a doubt that it’s strong.

    Hugs!
    Michele

    1. HI Michele sweetie,
      Am happy to read that your shelter is a strong one. It all starts from the heart isnt it. A strong heart and an open mind is all we need. Thank you for your lovely lovely comment.
      HUgs to you too 🙂

    1. HI Amanda,
      So glad you stopped by 🙂
      Practice is the key….and the core of that practice being faith in yourself…makes it even more fruitful.
      Thank you so much for your comment 🙂
      Happy reading and i hope to see you here again sharing your thoughts soon 🙂

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