Japan

I had a conversation very recently with someone who was struggling with what's happening in Japan. She lives an admittedly very comfortable life in southern California and is experiencing a sense of angst about what to do because, of course, she feels deeply for the human and planetary suffering that is occurring and a certain amount of guilt for not suffering herself.
A Spiritual Workout bonanza! Even though we had just run into one another in town, my cohort is familiar enough with this work to have welcomed the conversation and so we talked about what it all might look like through the lens of our trusty concepts.

We looked through the lens of be present and we are here for a reason. In this case, the two concepts combine in that we are here for a reason means not only that we got born on purpose for a purpose, but that we are in any given present moment for a reason as well. Another way to look at it is that there are no accidents. So to be on the planet in a place of comfort when others are on the planet in places of crisis and fear and loathing is by design. When we suspend judgment and exercise compassion, we realize that we have no idea what the souls of the individuals who we see suffering are up to and we don't have to know. But because of how the law of attraction is always on, no amount of guilt-tinged pity or grief helps anyone. Ever! If those of us who are comfortable can stand in and celebrate our comfort and infuse it with an intention that all sentient beings enjoy this level of comfort, because of the law of attraction and the notion that we are all connected, we do far more to create more comfort for more people than any amount of sorrow and pity and guilt could or would ever create. We must learn to master this idea and rid ourselves of useless guilt. It's time.

Another aspect of we are here for a reason (a k a there are no accidents) is to look at all the souls whose plan was to be part of what is happening in Japan as we speak. Their willingness, perhaps, to leave their lives in this way serves more purposes than any of us can ever imagine, for each of them individually and for all them collectively, but just to give a hint, think about what their departure from life at this time has done: it has focused the attention of many of the rest of us on our planet, our oceans, our energy policies, and so much more. It has given us opportunities to exercise our compassion muscles. Smaller numbers could not have done so with such impact and, yes, this is true for all "disasters," as we have come to call them. Remembering, however, that there are no disasters and that everything has purpose - and is also the result of karma - changes everything. If our inspiration then moves us to think or behave in different ways then even we, far removed from the crisis point(s) for now, can find purpose in our witnessing of events because, yet again, it is not an accident that we are witnessing events.

What we focus on grows, plain and simple, thanks to the law of attraction. And we are all connected so any of us who are comfortable enough to hold the vibrations of peace and vibrant health and ease and such actually do more for those who are suffering than we do by, broken record, I know, offering up angst and guilt.