Wehaveallfacedmomentsinourliveswhenthepressuremountsbeyondwhatwefeelwecanhandle,andwefindourselvesthinkingthatwedonothavethestrengthtocarryon.Sometimeswehavejustgottenthroughamajorobstacleorillnessonlytofindanotheronewaitingforusthemomentwefinallycatchourbreath.Sometimesweendureonelossafteranother,wonderingwhenwewillgetabreakfromlifetravails.Itdoesnotseemfairorrightthatlifeshoulddemandmoreofuswhenwefeelwehavegivenallwecan,butsometimesthisisthewaylifeworks.
Whenwelookbackonourlives,weseethatwehavesurvivedmanytrialsandsurmountedmanyobstacles,oftentoourownamazement.Ineachofthoseinstances,wehadtobreakthroughourideasabouthowmuchwecanhandleandgodeeperintoourhiddenreserves.Thethoughtthatwedonothavethestrengthtohandlewhatisbeforeuscanbelikenedtothehardsurfaceofafrozenlake.Itappearstobeanimpenetrablefact,butwhenwebreakthroughit,wefindthatadeepwellofenergyandinspirationwastrappedbeneaththaticybarrierthewholetime.Sometimeswebreakthroughbycuttingaholeintoourresistancewithourwillpower,andsometimeswemelttheicewithcompassionforourpredicamentandourselves.Eitherway,eachtimewebreakthrough,wereachanewunderstandingofthestrengthwestorewithinourselves.
Whenwefindourselvesupagainstthatfrozenbarrierofthinkingwecannothandleoursituation,wemayfindthatthekindestchoiceistoloveourselvesandourresistancetoo.Wecansimplyacceptthatweareoverwhelmed,exhausted,andstretched,andwecanofferourselveslovingkindnessandcompassion.Ifwecanextendtoourselvestheunconditionalwarmthofamother抯love,beforeweknowit,theicewillbegintobreak.