Living in Grace

​“To offer no resistance to life is to be in a state of grace, ease, and lightness.” ~Eckhart Tolle

This week’s quote is a reminder that your inner resistance is the only thing stopping you from experiencing joy in this moment. Of course, putting this lesson into practice is easier said than done. It’s like recognizing that your excess muscle tension is the only thing preventing you from feeling relaxed right now. Or that holding your breath is the only thing preventing you from breathing deeply and fully. In either case, the solution is to let go of your inner resistance. How do you do this? By entering into a state of grace.

Being in a state of grace involves surrendering to the inevitable ebbs and flows of existence. But grace is so much more than that. For example, when someone accepts an award with grace they do so from a place of gratitude and humility. When someone dances with grace, they move fluidly and with precision, embodying both beauty and ease as they move through space. In contrast, dancing ungracefully involves making sudden, herky-jerky movements that lack any kind of finesse. Therefore, living in a state of grace means being kind and humble as you move harmoniously through the world with an unshakeable sense of inner calm.

Being in a state of grace also means that you recognize the innate beauty of the world and have a heartfelt appreciation for the small joys and wonders of everyday existence. It’s a fortunate feeling, as if the whole universe is conspiring in your favor. It’s like the feeling you get when you are driving through town and every light turns green as soon as you reach the intersection. Or when you pull into a crowded parking lot and there is a space just for you. Grace is not only a recognition that life is a blessing, it’s also a recognition that you are blessed. So, whatever it is you have to do today, try doing it with grace. Simply by dropping all forms of resistance, you will naturally find harmony within.