Encouragement

We are not even half way through our 100 day chanting challenge!!! It has been such a struggle so far, but I am ready to dig my heels in and face the music.  Being part of such an amazing Buddhist community, and strengthening my bonds with the young woman’s division is totally uplifting and encouraging.  It has been hard, and my ideals to strengthen my relationship with a certain member haven’t yet seen daylight. On the other hand.. I feel that I have been connecting and twirling together the threads of love, compassion and understanding around the hearts and souls of others. This is what truly matters.

I fell across this amazing poem from Sensei this morning, and at first I truly thought it was something I wrote. When I got to the bottom and realized that these were words of encouragement from Sensei Ikeda I felt tremendous joy – For his words, and guidance, love and encouragement are slowly but surely engraving deep into my heart. They are becoming me…

CHALLENGE YOURSELF, MAKE YOUR DREAMS A REALITY

“I call you to fight for your dreams. Face the challenge.
What do you fear? To be ridiculed? To change?
To Face the unknown?
Don’t let the fear paralyze you.
Encourage yourself to leave your comfortable discomfort.
There is something better than tranquil despair.
Imagine what you want to be.
Make a plan,. Set a date.
Observe goals. Chant daimoku.
Don’t forget that success is for those who fight, minute by minute
day by day, year by year.
Intelligence is not required.
Seek, discover, take action.
And never forget that a dream without action is a delusion.”

– Daisaku Ikeda