We can not receive nourishment without acceptance of our task at hand. Partaking with some sense of openness, we may transform our duty into something of personal, or even greater, value. This ability to transform is a central focus of the earth element in oriental medicine. Sometimes the foreign experience we must digest does not resemble something conferring nourishment, but rather a pile of something indigestible; something difficult and unwanted that we are faced with. The spirit of sharing sympathetic kindness, an emotional attribute of the earth element, can be very helpful to one in the process of facing a daunting experience, both to offer as well as to receive.
The sweetness of sympathetic kindness can serve to remind us of what our transformation is ultimately for, so that we have a little more ‘stomach’ to digest and make good from the challenge that has been presented to us.
Well-Wishes to You