"The Great Way is not difficult for those who have no preferences." -- Hsin Hsin Ming

Think of how often we experience stress or anxiety about something that may happen.  We worry that we will not get the promotion or the new job. We worry that the weather may turn bad for our weekend at the lake, or the roads may be icy when we go to work in the morning. We stress over whether the new relationship will work out, or if we will get everything done on our "to do" list.

The mind runs these either/or or "what if?" scenarios over and over, for many, throughout their entire lives.  It creates an unsettled feeling that never allows for moving into a place of gentle peace and serenity.

It is actually the ego aspect of mind that gets attached to things happening the way it wants them to. This does make life difficult because there is so much over which we have no control.

There is a better way.  We can accept that many outcomes will be similar to a coin toss. It could go either way. What we need to do is to be prepared for, and okay with whatever outcome manifests.  Yes, ego may be pulling for its preferred outcome, but at the level of our higher self, we can be like a parent watching a child hoping for things to turn out a certain way.  The parent knows the child may be upset, but is prepared to coach him past the disappointment and switch the focus to something positive.

When we identify more with our inner impartial observer rather than our decidedly biased ego, life does become much simpler. Rather than fighting the way things are, we accept whatever happens, and move on with a more philosophical and positive outlook.  With this perspective life is no longer difficult, it simply is.

Gwen Randall-Young is an author and award-winning Psychotherapist.  For permission to reprint this article, or to obtain books or cds, visit www.gwen.ca.