Why is life so full of challenges?

—M.I.

Through life’s  challenges you learn life’s lessons. Challenges are not meant to crush you but to help you develop your powers. They come through the natural law of progress, so that you might advance from lower to higher levels of spiritual attainment.

In order to pass life’s tests, you will need to develop elasticity of the mind.  Never allow your mind to entertain thoughts of illness or limitation, and you will see your life change for the better. Do not grieve or worry about anything.

When you are asleep you are not conscious of the body, but when you awaken you remember whether you slept well or not. This shows that your consciousness continues even when you are not conscious of the body. No matter what happens, you must become free in your mind. When your mind can remain completely apart from the body at will, you will be free.

The key to all happiness, power, and health lies within your mind. But what often happens is that if you are ill for six months after enjoying good health for many years, you think you will never get well again. Your mind must not be affected by the conditions of the body. Your mind should convince your body.

Sometimes you think it is easy to believe that this universe is a dream, but as soon as you encounter the challenges of daily experiences, you often have difficulty seeing life as a dream. You have had many experiences through many incarnations and you will have others in future incarnations. You must learn to play all parts in the motion picture of life, inwardly saying, “I am Spirit.”

Let nothing sit on the throne of your heart but God. Break this dream delusion by waking in God and you will be safe forever.

From Inner Culture, April 1941.